


In Memoriam

by eufoeria



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Angst, M/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-09-02 04:09:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 62,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8650798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eufoeria/pseuds/eufoeria
Summary: Sunggyu is taken. One week later, they are told to give up. Six weeks later, he reappears, but nothing is the same. (Cyberpunk/Android AU)





	1. The Disappearance of Kim Sunggyu

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my Nanowrimo project!! Honestly, I have zero experience writing science fiction or worldbuilding whatsoever and naturally I think it's kind of weak in this but ;;;; you can't get better without trying! concrit is very welcome!! trigger warnings for: violence, attempted/mentions of non-graphic sexual assualt

_ “Where are you going?” _

_ A barely thirteen-year-old Woohyun stood in the doorway of the room Sunggyu kept to himself. “Since I do everything around here,” he had said when they first took over the crumbling concrete building. They didn’t know what it had been in the centuries before--most likely a garage or repair shop of some kind back when cars couldn’t drive themselves--but to them, it was home. _

_ “None of your business,” Sunggyu said, not looking up from where he was tying his ancient sneakers. It was pointless, really, when the front sole was peeling away, leaving his toes exposed, but it was better than nothing. Woohyun knew it was useless to offer him one of their jackets. Sunggyu would simply shake his head and tell him “no, you and the other kids need it more.” _

_ Woohyun curled his hand into a fist. “How long will you be gone this time?” _

_ “Not long.” Sunggyu bit his lip, brows furrowed. “Just a day, I think.” _

_ “You always say that.” _

_ “And I always come home eventually,” Sunggyu said. He went to exit the room, but Woohyun blocked his way. Sunggyu glared at him. “Get out of my way.” _

_ “Take me with you,” Woohyun pleaded. “Please, hyung, I can handle it. Dongwoo can take care of the other kids, just let me--” _

_ Sunggyu looked at him with a pained expression. “I told you, you’re too young. I don’t need your help. I’m the oldest, so it’s my job to take care of you all.” _

_ “You’re only one year older, and we wouldn’t have to starve if you’d just let me help!” Woohyun said too loudly, causing Sunggyu to throw his hands up over Woohyun’s mouth. _

_ “Be quiet, or you’ll wake everyone else up,” Sunggyu hissed. “And I do this so you guys don’t have to.” _

_ Woohyun removed the hand from his mouth. Sunggyu had held it there gently, because everything about Sunggyu was infuriatingly gentle, even when he was acting tough. “What is it that you do, hyung? Where do you go? Please, just tell me--I can help.” _

_ Sunggyu opened his mouth, as if he he wanted to say something, then shut it. He looked down, expression unreadable, except for what Woohyun would later realize as shame. They stood there like that for a moment, Woohyun waiting expectantly. Sunggyu raised his head and looked at him with renewed resolve. “I’m not going to tell you. Now, are you going to get out of my way, or am I going to have to call Dongwoo to hold you back?” _

_ Woohyun stared at him through narrowed eyes. “Fine,” he spat. “Just go. I don’t care.” _

_ Sunggyu looked at him sadly, but didn’t reply. Woohyun shut his eyes as he heard the lock on the front door click shut. _

_ When Sunggyu arrived back home three days later, lip cut and his body covered in bruises, he held Woohyun tight in his arms as Woohyun cried his apologies. _

***

Woohyun, now twenty, brushed past Hoya on his way to the kitchen, inconspicuously shoving his shoulder. Hoya growled and followed him.

“What’s your problem today?” Hoya snapped.

Woohyun angrily began to wash the dishes from earlier that day. “Guess I didn’t get much sleep. I heard Gyu come back late last night.”

Hoya flushed and had the decency to look sheepish. “You know it’s just physical, Woohyun. He thinks about you like a  _ real _ brother. You know that.”

“Whatever,” Woohyun muttered. “You’re so--”

Their conversation was cut short as Dongwoo walked into the kitchen, stretching. He nodded at Woohyun. “Sunggyu asked me to tell you that there’s a delivery he needs you to make when you’re done with the dishes.”

“Told you you’re special,” Hoya said.

Woohyun ignored him, perking up a bit at the news. “Sunggyu’s up?”

“Barely,” Dongwoo frowned. “I told him to get some more rest, but he insists on making sure Sungyeol and Sungjong don’t fuck up any repairs.”

It had taken half a decade of petty street jobs and god knows what else for Sunggyu to get them an in with the Android Mobility Alliance. They were a secret, but not-so-secret organization dedicated to the liberation of androids, who had become a common sight in the upper strata among the super rich. Sunggyu had made it so that they earned a decent living doing common repairs and secret deliveries for the organization. It was highly illegal, but it put food in their mouths and kept the younger members off the dangerous under-streets.

A century ago, when famine hit, the government realized it needed all the arable land it could get. It set limits on the outward growth of the city, so instead the engineers and architects were forced to build upwards in ever taller skyscraper complexes. They rose like a needle point, a broad base of shorter buildings growing taller as you approached the city center with bridges and walkways woven in between, piercing the sky as a monument to the ingenuity of mankind. It was common for the dirt poor, like them, to have never been above the fourth stratum, just as it was common for the wealthy to have never set foot on the ground. Old Seoul became buried under newer, shinier layers, and those who couldn’t afford to rise with the city were forgotten.

They all turned their heads as they heard a set of footsteps come down the stairs. As Sunggyu entered the kitchen, he gave Hoya and Woohyun a look, noting the tense atmosphere. “Hey, Woohyun, let someone else do the dishes. I need your help today.”

“Who else in this house will do them if not me?” he shrugged, returning to his task of vigorously scrubbing away congealed pasta sauce from one of the plates. Normally, he would’ve jumped at the chance to help Sunggyu with a delivery, anything to relieve the monotony of barely scraping by, but they had fought before Sunggyu left for whatever it was he did at nights, and he thought it would do Sunggyu good if he could could put up with his anger for a little while longer.

Sunggyu sighed at his obstinance. Hoya frowned, then said, “Just let Dongwoo-hyung do them.”

Woohyun laughed. “Asking Dongwoo to clean is like asking a cat to fetch. It’s unnatural and would only end in more chaos.”

“Hey!” Dongwoo protested.

Sunggyu nodded sagely, then turned to Hoya. “That’s why you should do it.”

“Me? I--” He opened his mouth to argue, but gave up as Sunggyu glared at him. He sighed in defeat. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He nudged Woohyun away from the sink. “Go have fun with Sunggyu-hyung.”

Sunggyu grabbed Woohyun’s arm before he could argue and led him out into the main living area. He placed a small, white package into his hands. It was small enough to fit into his palm. “This needs to get to the old elementary school by the overpass before midnight. Leave it under the rock by the entrance.”

“I have all evening to do this, why are you giving it to me now?” Woohyun scoffed, tucking the package into the back pocket of his jeans.

Sunggyu shrugged. “Just get to it when you have time. I have to go check on--”

He froze as he spotted something beyond Woohyun’s shoulder. Woohyun frowned and turned around, following his gaze to where it rested on the red emergency light above the door.

It hadn’t come with the building; Sunggyu had put it up a year ago when they became involved with the Android Mobility Alliance--all the potential safehouses had them. Their place hadn’t been used as a safehouse in a long time, and Sunggyu had never allowed the other boys into the garage where the androids took haven while they were there. It flashed once if they were needed to harbor an android, twice as an all-clear sign for the android to move on to its next destination. Woohyun had never seen it flash three times because three times meant they had been found.

He counted the flashes.

_ One _

_ Two _

_ Three _

Dread settled into the pit of his stomach. He prayed he’d counted wrong, but after a moment it flashed again. One, two, three. He looked back at Sunggyu, who looked more shaken than Woohyun could ever remember seeing him.

“Woohyun,” he whispered. It was a statement, not a question. Woohyun nodded and went back to the kitchen.

Sunggyu took a moment to school his face into a familiar, calm confidence before he began barking out orders. They likely had only minutes. “Everyone up to the attic,  _ now _ !”

Hoya ran upstairs to pull down the ladder to the little-used attic while Dongwoo went to gather Sungyeol, Myungsoo, and Sungjong. Woohyun stared helplessly at Sunggyu.

“What can I do?” he pleaded. “Please, there’s got to be something.”

Sunggyu turned away to stare out the front windows of their dilapidated home. “You can stay upstairs with everyone else. Let me deal with this.”

“Stop it!” Woohyun shouted. “You know you can’t handle this. They’ll take you away, they’ll--”

“I need you to listen to me.” Sunggyu turned around and put his hands on Woohyun’s shoulders. “Don’t come downstairs. No matter what happens, don’t--don’t say anything, don’t draw any attention.”

“Hyung,  _ please _ \--”

Sunggyu shook his head. He looked at Woohyun with desperation in his eyes. Woohyun saw the fear on his face, buried beneath calculated layers of cool confidence that he’d built up over the years. He saw how much Sunggyu needed him to say yes, so he nodded. Sunggyu looked past him to where Hoya stood. “He’s probably just nodding to reassure me, so hold him back when he tries to come downstairs, okay? If he goes, the rest of the kids will follow.”

“They’re hardly kids anymore, hyung,” Hoya tried to joke, but his voice was too full of an emotion Woohyun was too afraid to name. He cleared his throat. “I promise.”

“Now go,” Sunggyu urged. Woohyun swallowed thickly, but turned around at Hoya’s insistent tug on his arm. They climbed up the ladder into the attic and pulled it up behind them. Everyone was crowded around the one window that overlooked the front of the building. After a moment, they saw a great black police transport turn onto the street. It pulled up just in front of their door, and an officer and two drones got out.

The drones were just that--androids of lower intelligence who simply followed the commands of their superiors. They hardly resembled humans, and they were typically used as patrol sentries for routine arrests. It was the human officer that worried Woohyun--whatever that meant, he knew it wasn’t good.

They flinched at the knocking on the door. Sunggyu opened the door and stepped outside. The policeman seemed to be questioning Sunggyu, and their words quickly grew heated. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but the police officer seemed to hear something that satisfied him. His expression changed to one of passive indifference, as he motioned the drones forward.

Woohyun felt Hoya lean closer to him as he stared in horror out the window at Sunggyu being restrained by the two drones. He fought them, and when he yelled, the officer subdued him by slamming the butt of his gun against his head. Sunggyu went slack, and that was when Woohyun panicked.

“We have to stop them,” Woohyun muttered, staring at the other five boys. His voice began to rise as the others stared at him blankly. “We need to do something! Fuck staying up here.”

“Woohyun,” Hoya warned.

“You’re just going to let them take him?!”

Sungyeol seemed to come to his senses. “Woohyun’s right. We can’t just sit here!”

“Nobody moves!” Hoya hissed. “If you go downstairs now, this will all have been for nothing.”

Woohyun shot Hoya a venomous stare. “I’m not just going to sit here while they abduct Sunggyu-hyung!”

Hoya reached out to stop him, but was too slow. Woohyun flung open the door to the attic and dropped down. Hoya lunged to stop Sungyeol from following him.

“Let me go!” Sungyeol grunted, struggling in his grasp. “We need to help! We all need to help!”

“I promised Sunggyu-hyung I wouldn’t let any of you go downstairs,” Hoya growled. He noticed his arm becoming wet with tears. Sungyeol eventually stopped struggling and Hoya looked at the rest of the boys. “Nobody moves. Nobody goes anywhere.”

Meanwhile, Woohyun clambered down the stairs to the bottom floor as fast as he could. The drones were halfway to the transport, dragging Sunggyu behind them like an object instead of a person. Woohyun noticed he wasn’t moving.

“Stop! You can’t just take him!” he cried. The police officer turned around. Woohyun noticed at once that it wasn’t a regular officer. The inconspicuous badge on his chest indicated that he was a part of the special forces, whose responsibility had mainly fallen to disrupting android liberation movements in recent years.

The officer sneered at him. “This guy is a terrorist and a traitor to his country, and I can do what I want with him. Consider yourself lucky I’m not arresting you and the rest of your pathetic friends for harboring him. You want a warrant?” He spat at the ground in front of Woohyun. “There’s your fucking warrant.”

Woohyun lunged at him blindly, but his attack was blocked by one of the drones, who had left Sunggyu with its partner in order to deal with Woohyun. It shoved Woohyun to the ground with inhuman strength. He coughed as he tried to get the air back into his lungs.

“Stop it, Woohyun,” a voice said weakly. Woohyun then noticed that Sunggyu was merely dazed, not unconscious, though the blood flowing from the cut on his forehead didn’t make him look any better off. His voice was a little stronger when he spoke again, to the officer this time. “Don’t hurt him; he’s my little brother. He wasn’t involved in any of this. Please.”

Woohyun ignored the thorn in his heart at the ‘brother’ comment. He pushed himself off the ground and lunged at the officer again.

All he heard before he hit the ground was the sound of a gunshot.

Woohyun screamed. He clutched his right arm tightly, and noticed through the haze of shock that he’d been shot. He watched the blood flow freely from the wound, and vaguely registered that Sunggyu was yelling… something.

“Doesn’t look so little to me,” the officer shrugged. He nodded to the drones. “Time to head back.”

Woohyun tried to lift himself off the ground as they threw Sunggyu into the back of the transport and shut the doors. He shouted at them, but he was held back by hands that gripped his shoulder and forced him back onto the ground.

He struggled from their grasp as they tried to keep him pinned.

“-hyun.”

He lunged again at where the transport had already turned the corner. He screamed in frustration when his body wouldn’t obey.

“Woohyun!”

Dongwoo’s voice cut through the ringing in his ears. His eyes darted wildly until the focused on Dongwoo’s straight above him. He and Hoya had him restrained as Dongwoo attempted to assess the gunshot wound.

“You’re in shock,” Sungjong said. He materialized over Dongwoo’s shoulder, his voice calm and soothing despite the fact that his hands were trembling. “Stop moving before you make yourself bleed out.”

“S-Sunggyu,” he mumbled. Why were they just sitting there? Why weren’t they going after the officer? “They took Sunggyu.”

“We know,” Hoya replied, “but right now you’re the one in need of immediate attention.”

Woohyung sobbed in frustration. Why weren’t they doing anything? He hissed in pain as Sungjong pried his fingers away from the wound. He clicked his tongue. “It’s not as deep as I thought. I can try and stitch it up, but if he loses more blood we need to go for help.”

Hoya laughed desperately. “We can’t afford help.” He tightened his grip around Woohyun’s shoulder. “You better stop bleeding, or I’ll finish you off myself.”

Woohyun felt himself grow colder as the adrenaline left him. He wanted to sleep, but every time his eyelids drooped, Hoya or Dongwoo would make sure to shake him awake. Sungjong stitched his wound up and wrapped it in gauze from their emergency kit. By the time the sun set, he’d calmed down enough to realize there was nothing they could’ve done for Sunggyu besides getting themselves killed.

Sunggyu was gone.

Hoya was bringing him a cup of water when he reached shakily with his good hand into his back pocket. The white package was still there. He held it out to Hoya. “Can you deliver this? Gyu said it needed to be done by midnight.”

Hoya took it gently from his trembling hand and crouched down beside him. “Okay. I’ll take Dongwoo and we’ll go together. You can stay here and make sure the others don’t do anything stupid.”

Woohyun knew that by “others” he meant Sungyeol. Myungsoo and Sungjong were still in too much shock to formulate any plans, but Sungyeol would need to occupy his mind with  _ something _ . He tried to swallow past the thickness in his throat. “I fought with him.” His voice was hoarse and broken from all the shouting. “Our last conversation was an argument.”

“Don’t say ‘last.’ You don’t know that,” Hoya admonished, perhaps more to convince himself than Woohyun, “We might be able to find and rescue him. Or this could all just be an honest mistake and they’ll let him go by tomorrow morning.”

“They won’t.” Woohyun cursed the way his voice trembled. Hadn’t he cried enough that day? “They never do, you know that. When the special forces take people, they don’t come back.”

Hoya was quiet for a moment, his eyes downcast. He sighed. “Just don’t talk like that around the others, okay?”

He pushed himself to stand, and Woohyun’s eyes tracked his retreating figure as he went to find Dongwoo.


	2. Search party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woohyun and Dongwoo go searching for answers, but they may not like what they find.

_ Hoya grimaced at the blood flowing from Woohyun’s nose. Woohyun was sobbing, quite unsightly for a boy of twelve, but it looked like it really hurt. He could already tell a black eye would form too. The other boy on their street hit hard. _

_ “Come on, Woohyunnie,” he said, looping Woohyun’s arm around his shoulder. “Let’s just go home.” _

_ Ignoring the taunts of the other kids, he and Woohyun limped down the street until they arrived at the garage their little band of misfit boys had just taken over as their own. Luckily, Sunggyu had gotten them a first aid kit the week before, but Woohyun’s nose looked like it might be broken. Hoya wasn’t sure if there was something in the first aid kit for that. _

_ “What happened?” Hoya was surprised when Sunggyu was the first to greet them as they walked through the door. He was always out working, even though he never told anyone what he did. Sungyeol thought he must have been like Robin Hood, stealing from the rich men and women of the upper strata, but Sungyeol was just a kid. Myungsoo agreed with him, saying Sunggyu was like the hero from his comics, but Hoya didn’t really believe that. _

_ Woohyun’s sobs had died down to quiet sniffles by the time they walked through the door, but the blood that stained the entire front of his shirt didn’t look good. _

_ “We were playing soccer together down the block when this kid took Woohyun’s jacket,” Hoya explained. Dongwoo came forward and led Woohyun into the kitchen where he could tend to his wounds. “We tried to get it back, but he punched him, hyung! Like really hard!” _

_ Sunggyu crossed his arms sternly. “And you just let him keep Woohyun’s jacket?” _

_ Hoya froze. “W-what do you mean, hyung? The other kid--we tried!” _

_ “It was two of you versus one of him,” Sunggyu said, shaking his head. “You need to go and get Woohyun’s jacket back.” _

_ Hoya looked at him in horror. He could see the shock on the faces of the younger kids, standing at the other end of the room to avoid Sunggyu’s wrath. “H-hyung… I can’t fight him.” _

_ “Yes you can,” Sunggyu said, “Now go out there and get Woohyunnie’s jacket back.” _

_ “Hyung, he’s bigger than me! We can just find another jacket!” Hoya protested, tears filling his eyes. “Why can’t you do it? You’re fourteen! You’re way bigger than him!” _

_ Sunggyu shook his head. “I’m not always going to be there. You two are a month apart; you have to stick up for each other.” Sunggyu sighed and placed his hands on Hoya’s shoulders. “There are going to be lots of kids from now on that are going to take your jacket, or worse. You can’t let yourself be a victim.” _

_ Hoya opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. He wanted to say, it wasn’t his fault! He didn’t ask for that kid to take Woohyun’s jacket! Why does he have to make it right? _

_ But Sunggyu didn’t want to hear it. He said, “Don’t come back until you get Woohyun’s jacket back.” _

_ Hoya felt the fear run cold down his spine. The other kids looked at him, terrified. Dongwoo stuck his head out of the kitchen with a worried expression on his face. Hoya pleaded wordlessly for him to intercede, but he simply shook his head. _

_ So Hoya went back to the sidewalk where he and Woohyun had been playing. The kid who had stolen Woohyun’s jacket was still there, bouncing a basketball against a concrete wall. His friends had all left, and he was still wearing the jacket, Woohyun’s favorite jacket. Hoya took a calming breath and approached the kid, a determined look on his face. _

_ “Give the jacket back,” he demanded. _

_ The kid turned around slowly, then smirked. “Or what?” _

_ Hoya curled his hand into a fist. “Or else I’ll fight you!” _

_ They began to size each other up. He was smaller than Hoya remembered. During the walk from where they’d been playing back to the house, his memory had aggrandized him to the point where he’d become a monster of insurmountable strength. Now, Hoya realized, the kid was about the same size he was. The only reason he’d been able to stop Woohyun was because Woohyun had always been a little bit smaller than Hoya, despite his age. _

_ The other boy narrowed his eyes, then scoffed and shrugged off the jacket. “Not worth it.” _

_ Hoya scooped up the jacket from where he threw it on the ground and ran back to the house. He walked through the front door triumphantly as the younger boys crowded around him with a million and a half questions _

_ “Was he big?” _

_ “Did you really fight him?” _

_ “How old was he?” _

_ “Was there more than one of them?” _

_ Hoya ignored them all and walked straight into the kitchen, returning the jacket to Woohyun. _

_ “Thanks, Hoya.” Woohyun smiled through his tears. Hoya puffed out his chest, proud of himself. _

_ Sunggyu smiled and ruffled his hair. “Good job.” _

_ Hoya beamed at the praise. At that time, praise from Sunggyu had felt like the highest form of honor. He could take care of himself. From that day forward, he and Woohyun were able to play on the block without fear of anyone taking their jackets. They were invincible. _

***

A week passed.

They searched high and low for Sunggyu. They checked every crumbling precinct, every courthouse for evidence of Sunggyu’s whereabouts, but it was like he’d disappeared into thin air. Tensions were growing thicker in the house, and their desperation to find him that had once united them was slowly tearing them apart. They began to snap at each other in their frustration as each boy realized the possibility that Sunggyu might truly be gone forever.

It was late one night as Woohyun once again poured over a 3-D map of the fifth stratum projected from his tablet. He had to be  _ somewhere _ . He couldn’t just be  _ gone _ .

Dongwoo approached him from behind with tired eyes. “Woohyun, get some sleep.”

He sighed and dismissed the map. “Can  _ you _ sleep not knowing where he is?”

“I know it’s hard, but you’re not going to find Sunggyu if you’re exhausted. Exhaustion makes you sloppy.”

Woohyun gritted his teeth. “I’m not tired.”

“Woohyun--”

“He’s out there somewhere!” Woohyun snapped. “He’s probably waiting for us to rescue him!”

“I don’t think that that’s true, Woohyun. And I don’t think you do either,” he said sadly. “Sunggyu wouldn’t want us to come looking for him. He did everything in his power to keep us as far away from the Alliance as possible in case this exact situation happened.”

“Damn it!” Woohyun pounded his fist on the metal table. “If he’d just trusted us, let us meet one of the damn members, we could ask them for help, but we don’t even know how to fucking contact them!”

Dongwoo was quiet for a moment as he watched him tug at his hair in frustration. He sighed. “Sunggyu-hyung didn’t want me to tell you this,” he said quietly, “but I know how to contact them. He showed me one time, and told me to only do it if one of the others needed help and he wasn’t around to do it.”

“You knew?” Woohyun asked, his voice a deadly whisper. “All this fucking time you knew and you didn’t say anything?”

“He told me not to tell you! I promised him!” Dongwoo’s voice broke on the last syllable, his collected facade crumbling in the wake of Woohyun’s implied accusations--that he didn’t  _ care _ , that he didn’t  _ want _ to find Sunggyu. Though he and Woohyun were both prone to tears, Dongwoo had always been the more sensitive soul--Woohyun was simply much better at pretending he was okay.

Woohyun tried to calm his agitation. He knew Dongwoo would never betray Sunggyu’s trust willingly, but it seemed like he could make an exception for situations like these. They’d already lost valuable time. “Dongwoo,” he said, gripping his shoulders firmly, “what did he tell you?”

“T-there’s this dive bar downtown that--”

“Show me.”

Dongwoo gulped, but nodded. Woohyun’s heart thudded in anticipation as Dongwoo grabbed their jackets.

It was only in the week since his abduction that Woohyun had come to realize just how much Sunggyu had kept secret from them. He’d foolishly thought he was closest to Sunggyu, but he wasn’t the one Sunggyu had entrusted these secrets to. They’d been running deliveries for this organization for years, but neither he nor any of the other boys knew anything about them. It was like Sunggyu had suddenly become a stranger to him. The more he found out about him, the more he realized how little he knew.

Sunggyu didn’t like to talk about the past, so what little he did know was from Dongwoo. Sunggyu and Dongwoo met just a few short months before they’d welcomed Woohyun into their growing gang of half-starved street boys at the age of ten. Even though he hadn’t known Sunggyu the longest, Sunggyu had always told him he trusted him the most. He was Sunggyu’s “right-hand man.” Apparently that was a lie too.

They were headed out the door when they heard light footsteps behind them.

“Where are you going?” Sungyeol asked, brows furrowed in confusion. “It’s the middle of the night.”

Woohyun sighed. There was no use lying to Sungyeol--they were too similar. He’d find out eventually, one way or another, and Woohyun preferred that it wasn’t through surreptitiously following them to their destination. “We’re going to find Gyu.”

“Let me come too,” Sungyeol begged. “I’m going crazy just sitting here doing nothing.”

Woohyun shook his head. “You need to stay here. Dongwoo and I can handle this alone.”

Woohyun saw the anger flash in his eyes, and he wondered if this was what Sunggyu had felt like for all those years. His heart clenched painfully. He wanted--no,  _ needed _ \--to apologize for everything, so Sunggyu couldn’t be dead. It wasn’t possible.

They set off on their journey by foot, wending their way down the twisting, turning streets of Old Seoul. That was what they called the underbelly of the city, the parts few with good intentions frequented anymore. Whereas in the upper strata legitimate businesses would cover their storefronts in electronic signs advertising their wares, the buildings down there had relatively few advertisements as any who desired their services would know what to look for.

It was unnerving being on the streets that late at night, but it wasn’t something Woohyun hadn’t done before. Still, when he peered down gloomy alleyways that led only to darkness, he couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of what might be lying in wait.

They turned onto a slightly busier street. It was a peripheral road just out of the way of the center of the red-light district. The dingy street was lined with bars and less reputable businesses, neon signs flashing in the windows advertising their wares. Woohyun curled his lip in disgust.

Dongwoo grabbed his arm to stop him as he almost walked straight past their destination. Yellow light and the sound of happy customers spilled out onto the alley from where an unassuming red door was propped open. The interior looked like a normal bar, with customers enjoying beer and conversation, the bartender happily joining in. Leaning against the concrete wall by the door stood a surly-looking bouncer.

“There’s a 10,000 won cover charge,” the bouncer said, holding out his hand to block their entrance into the bar.

Woohyun opened his mouth to protest, but Dongwoo cut him off. “Keep the change.”

He discreetly slid a dull, silver coin into the bouncer’s hand. The bouncer glanced at it suspiciously, but pocketed it after a moment and stood to the side, revealing a set of stairs leading down to the basement that Woohyun hadn’t noticed before.

They descended the concrete steps quickly, and opened the dingy metal door at the bottom landing. Inside was pitch black.

“Hello?” Dongwoo called out hesitantly. Woohyun could feel the way his palms were sweating and gripped his hand tighter.

Woohyun gathered his courage and said with a firm voice, “Sunggyu was taken. We need to get him back.”

When they received no answer, Woohyun grew increasingly uneasy. Dongwoo was nearing full on panic--he had never been good with the dark on the best of days (nights). Woohyun opened his mouth to call out again, but was stopped by a gloved hand covering his mouth.

He heard Dongwoo’s muffled scream and couldn’t help but cry out as the unknown assailant twisted his bad arm behind his back, pushing him forward and down until he was forced to kneel.

It was hard to tell how many there were with the lights out--perhaps no more than four or five, but impossible to fight off with his injured arm. Woohyun winced as he was pushed forward until the tip of his nose brushed the cool, concrete floor. He could feel the wetness on his arm and knew his gunshot wound had reopened.

The lights flickered on, and Woohyun found himself staring at a pair of dirty combat boots. He forced his head up to get a look at his captor and found that he was tall, taller than him or Dongwoo, and well-muscled. He looked military, except for the way his hair was unkempt and his white t-shirt was stained with grease.

“Who gave you this?” the man hissed, holding a silver coin up to his face--identical to the one Dongwoo had given the bouncer earlier.

Woohyun looked to his left and saw that Dongwoo had somehow fared worse than he had. His lip was bleeding, and he had two assailants--one male and one female--pinning him to the floor.

“Sunggyu. Kim Sunggyu,” Woohyun whispered hoarsely. “Please let go of my friend. We just want to know where Sunggyu-hyung is.”

The two captors looked at the man in front of Woohyun, who seemed to be their leader, for instructions. The man nodded slightly, and they relented, pulling Dongwoo so that he was kneeling, but no longer suffocating under the weight of their bodies.

The leader walked slowly over to a large metal table in the center of the room. He began typing into a keyboard that was wired to a thin glass monitor, but Woohyun was unable to make out what he was doing.

“Who are you?” he asked, ignoring the glares from his captors that told him to shut up. “Are you with the Alliance? Where’s Sunggyu-hyung?”

“Just shut up for a minute, kid,” the man mumbled.

Woohyun sighed angrily. Could he answer their questions or not? He was about to ask again when a large projection appeared above the table. At the top was a portrait of Sunggyu from what must have been years ago--probably around the time they’d started running deliveries and doing repairs for the Alliance.

From what Woohyun could tell, it looked to be a profile of sorts, but most of it was complete gibberish, just random numbers and letters. It must have been a cypher that could only be decoded electronically. He growled, “What the fuck is this supposed to be?”

“Can’t give away all our secrets can we?” the man typing away at the computer said smugly. He walked back over to where Dongwoo at Woohyun were still kneeling.

“Let them go; they’re no threat,” he said, motioning at the Alliance members who still had them pinned.

“As you wish, Commander Doojoon,” the man to Woohyun’s right replied immediately. Woohyun felt the pressure on his back dissipate, and he pushed himself to stand on shaky legs. He glanced over at Dongwoo to make sure he was unhurt.

Doojoon clapped his hands together and said, “So you two are Sunggyu’s infamous ‘little brothers.’” His brow furrowed. “I thought there were six of you.”

“The others are back at the house,” Woohyun blurted.

“Woohyun,” Dongwoo hissed, shooting him a glare. Woohyun paled when he realized what he’d said in his delirium.

“Just as I thought,” Doojoon said smugly, “Then I’ll tell you two what I told Sunggyu when he asked to join our little organization.” He beckoned Woohyun and Dongwoo closer, resting a hand on each of their shoulders. “If you tell anyone how to find us, I’ll have the rest of your little friends killed, no questions asked.”

Woohyun gasped in pain as Doojoon squeezed on his shoulder in a vice-like grip. Dongwoo’s lips trembled as he said, “What are you talking about? How can you say that?”

“We’re a serious organization,” Doojoon replied, relenting his grip on their shoulders. “The government calls us terrorists. We prefer the term liberators, but you can see how there’s a conflict of interest.” He crossed his arms and examined the two frightened men before him. “This isn’t a fucking game. Most of the people here have no families, no greater allegiances. You two do.”

“We won’t tell anyone!” Woohyun growled, his hand curling into a fist.

“You say that now,” Doojoon said, shaking his head, “but when you’re strapped to that metal fucking chair in the padded interrogation room where no one can hear you scream, you’ll be singing a much different tune.” He shrugged, then turned back towards the projection. “Call it insurance.”

“You’re an asshole,” Woohyun spat. “I thought you were supposed to be the good guys.”

Doojoon shrugged and picked up a glass tablet off the table. “I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but this is  _ war _ now. There are no good guys in war.”

He tapped through a few screens until a video feed popped up on the main projection. As it began to play, Woohyun’s insides turned to ice. The feed was fuzzy, but he could tell it was Sunggyu, strapped to a metal chair in a police interrogation room.

He could still see the red of the blood that had flowed from the cut on his forehead. It must be from the same day he was taken. The officer paced in front of the table, then stopped in front of Sunggyu.

“What information do you have regarding the so-called ‘liberators’ of androids?” The officer’s voice was muffled, and Woohyun could barely make it out.

It was even harder to make out Sunggyu’s weak reply. “N-nothing.”

Woohyun and Dongwoo both jumped at the loud  _ clang _ of the officer pounding the end of his police stick on the steel table in between himself and Sunggyu. They could see Sunggyu jolt too, straining slightly against where his hands were cuffed behind the back of his chair.

The officer strolled around to Sunggyu’s side, placing a hard hand on his shoulder and leaning in closely. He shouted, and Woohyun’s heart squeezed at the way Sunggyu flinched at his words. “Have you ever stolen a class A android?”

“No!”

“Have you ever harbored a runaway?”

“Never.”

“Have you ever  _ seen _ an android?”

“How would I?” Sunggyu cried. “I’m dirt fucking poor and I’ve never been above the fourth stratum!”

The officer gripped Sunggyu’s hair and pulled so that he faced up, and Sunggyu’s face contorted in pain. Another officer, one Woohyun didn’t recognize, walked in and handed the interrogating officer a file.

He opened the file and laid it before Sunggyu. There were photographs, but Woohyun couldn’t tell of what from the fuzzy video feed. He couldn’t see Sunggyu’s expression.

“I think we both know that’s not true,” the officer said coldly, sending a chill up Woohyun’s spine. The officer grabbed Sunggyu by the shoulder and pulled his chair around so that it was facing him. He grabbed the hair at the front of Sunggyu’s head and forced him to meet his gaze.

“Now tell me what you know.”

Sunggyu opened his mouth to respond, but Doojoon paused the video feed before Woohyun could hear his response. He only then realized that there were tears in his eyes, and wiped furiously at them with his sleeve.

“This is a video feed from the precinct where they took him the day of his arrest,” Doojoon said quietly. “It’s basically more of the same. Sunggyu doesn’t tell them anything for the first three days.”

“Then what?” Woohyun asked. “What happened on the third day?”

“We… don’t know,” Doojoon admitted reluctantly. “The file we got from our contact at the police station says he was transferred, but the precinct he was transferred to doesn’t actually exist.” He sighed. “This happens to most of our guys who get caught. We’ve been trying to figure out where they go, what happens to them, but every time the trail goes cold. And since they’ve labeled us ‘terrorists,’ we’re technically under the jurisdiction of the military. We aren’t afforded the same rights as other criminal suspects.”

“So…” Woohyun’s voice was thick with emotion. “You’re saying you don’t know where he is? We came all this way for nothing?”

Woohyun could feel his own eyes swim with tears once again as he heard Dongwoo’s sob next to him. “I’m saying,” Doojoon said sadly, “that your friend is dead.”

Woohyun heard Dongwoo slump to the floor. He ignored the tightness in his own throat. “You just said you don’t know what happened to him!”

Doojoon sighed. “I do know that he’s not coming back, kid. They’ve been taking our guys for years now and not one of them has ever been seen again. If he’s not dead by now, he will be.”

“So that’s it?! You’re just going to leave him?!” Woohyun cried. He winced in pain as Doojoon’s subordinates stepped in to restrain him.

Doojoon narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. He grabbed Woohyun roughly by the chin and forced his gaze up. Woohyun tried not to feel small or intimidated despite the pounding in his chest. “I have bigger things to worry about than some idiot who let himself get caught running a routine mission,” he spat. “Sunggyu got sloppy, and I have at least five other, far more important men and women who’ve gone missing in the last month just like him. If I find them, I find him, but I’m not sending out a search and rescue for one low-level grunt.”

Woohyun growled and lunged at him, ignoring the blood flowing down his arm. He was quickly subdued, thrown onto his back as Doojoon placed one heavy boot on his chest. “I suggest you think carefully about your next move, kid.” Doojoon took one look at Dongwoo, who was being held in place again. “It’s not just your neck on the line.”

“Woohyun, please,” Dongwoo pleaded, “Let’s just go home.”

“I hate you,” Woohyun spat with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t care,” Doojoon said simply. “You two are to head back to your assigned safehouse and await further instruction. You’ll be given a single communicator--it’s one-way and heavily encrypted, so don’t even think of tampering with it.”

Doojoon snapped his fingers and one of the subordinates handed Dongwoo a small communication device. It was rudimentary--converted from a decades old smartphone, now only capable of one-way communication--but functional. Woohyun was pulled back to his feet and shoved towards the exit.

“We didn’t agree to run any more fucking errands for you pieces of shit,” Woohyun growled.

Doojoon shook his head. “You agreed the moment you handed our bouncer that coin. Remember-- _ insurance _ .”

Before Woohyun could protest further, he and Dongwoo were shoved out the exit of the gloomy basement back into the grimy alleyway.

They stood there in shock for a moment, before quietly ascending the stairs. The bouncer surreptitiously handed the original silver coin back to Dongwoo. They began the long trek home, trodding sullenly down the darkened city streets.

Woohyun just focused on placing one foot in front of the other. Left. Right.

After a moment, Dongwoo spoke, his voice rough from crying. “Woohyun, I’m sorry.”

Left. Right.

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Woohyun replied.

Left. Right.

“I could’ve told you sooner,” Dongwoo sniffled. He wiped the tear tracks from his face.

Woohyun stopped.

“It’s my fault,” he said, “We should’ve listened to Sunggyu and never gotten involved. Now everyone else is in danger, and we’re not any closer to finding him.” He smiled sadly at Dongwoo. “I’m sorry for forcing you to tell me, Dongwoo-yah.”

“Don’t be,” Dongwoo said. They continued walking. Left. Right.

When they arrived back at the house, they were surprised to find Hoya waiting up for them instead of Sungyeol. He took in their beaten down forms, unimpressed. “You two look awful.”

“I’m going to bed,” Dongwoo declared. He turned to Woohyun. “Promise me you’ll sleep?”

Woohyun nodded, and that seemed to be good enough for an exhausted Dongwoo, who trudged up the stairs to the room he shared with Myungsoo. When he was gone, Woohyun allowed himself to slump against the wall, shrugging off his jacket with a hiss of pain.

“Fuck, Woohyun,” Hoya said, “Your wound reopened. Are you stupid?”

Woohyun shot him a glare. “Yeah,” he replied through gritted teeth, “I love bleeding so much I got myself shot again just for the thrill of it.”

“Follow me,” Hoya replied, clicking his tongue. He led Woohyun to sit down at one of the kitchen tables while he rummaged through the cabinets for the first aid kit. When he found it, he made a mental note to buy more gauze when they could.

“Stay still,” he commanded, sitting down in the chair next to Woohyun. He took Woohyun’s arm and rewrapped it, careful to avoid opening the wound up even more. “You’re lucky,” he commented. “You just barely avoided needing stitches again.”

“I’m the luckiest guy alive,” Woohyun said bitterly. He stared at the floor until Hoya was done. When Hoya released his arm, he moved it a bit to test its range and winced at the pain. “I can bandage myself, you know.”

“You’re welcome,” Hoya replied sarcastically. He shook his head, then hesitated. “Sunggyu-hyung will be mad at me if he finds out I didn’t help you.”

Woohyun attempted a smile at that. “Not as mad as he’ll be at me for getting shot.” They sat there in comfortable silence for a moment before he asked, “Why are you up?”

“I caught  _ someone _ trying to sneak out of the house,” Hoya replied as he packed away the first aid supplies. “You’ll never guess who.”

Woohyun groaned. “I  _ told _ Sungyeol not to follow us.”

“You say that like he listens,” Hoya said. “I stopped him before he could escape and told him to sleep, but not before forcing him to tell me where you two went.”

“Sungyeol doesn’t know where we went.”

“He said you went to find Gyu,” Hoya said. When Woohyun didn’t respond, he asked, “Well did you?”

Woohyun hated the sob that burst from his chest. The tears seemed to flow from the deepest part of him, that self that he thought he’d smothered when he was still a child. He tried to cover his face--as if something so simple would stop Hoya from seeing--but Hoya grabbed his wrist in alarm.

“Woohyun, what’s wrong?” he asked. Getting no response, he hesitantly went to embrace him, wrapping his arms around Woohyun’s shoulders as if he were as fragile as glass. He must have seemed that way to anyone else.

“H-he’s gone,” Woohyun sniffled. He tried to control his breathing and explain. “W-we went to the Alliance headquarters to see if they could help--they don’t know, Hoya.”

“What?” The question was just a whisper. Hoya tightened his grip around Woohyun’s shoulders.

Woohyun swallowed thickly. “They said we should give up. That he’s dead.”

Hoya buried his head in the crook of Woohyun’s neck as he sobbed once more, cursing the few tears that ran down his own cheek. Sunggyu would tease him if he saw, calling him a little kid.

After a moment, as Woohyun’s sobs died down to pathetic whimpers, Hoya said, “I’m not going to stop looking.”

“Hoya,” Woohyun said, his voice hoarse, “he’s gone.”

“He’s missing, not dead,” Hoya said firmly. “I’m not going to stop until I know for sure what happened, and you shouldn’t either.”

Woohyun didn’t reply. He simply nodded his head, throat too tight with emotion to speak. He clung to the arm Hoya had wrapped around his chest. When he’d calmed down, Hoya helped him to stand. He said quietly, “Let’s sleep in Sunggyu’s room tonight.”

“What?” Woohyun asked, disbelieving. Sunggyu’s room was completely off-limits. No one had stepped foot in it since he disappeared.

“Let’s sleep in Sunggyu-hyung’s room tonight,” Hoya repeated. “He’ll be mad if we let dust get on all his stuff.”

Woohyun nodded slowly. “If we tell him that, maybe he won’t be mad we went in his room without his permission in the first place.”

Hoya laughed quietly. They ascended the stairs together, step by step, and paused before Sunggyu’s door. Hoya looked at Woohyun, who nodded shortly, and pushed open the door.

It was a plain room; Sunggyu never was one for purposeless decoration. A full-sized mattress on the floor, dirty blankets balled up in the center; clothes, strewn about the hardwood floor. A guitar, sitting in the corner of the room--perhaps the only thing in the room that wasn’t purely functional. Woohyun liked those quiet nights when Sunggyu practiced, long after the younger kids had gone to sleep. Sometimes, Sunggyu even let him sit on his bed and listen.

The room was quiet now.

Hoya shut the door behind them and headed for the bed. Woohyun climbed onto the mattress next to him and looked over at him. “We should sleep.”

“Yeah.” Hoya nodded. They pulled the blanket over themselves. “Goodnight, Woohyun.”

Woohyun swallowed thickly. “Goodnight.”

He fell asleep, less lonely than he had felt the nights before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> regular updates start from today onwards :) a new chapter will be posted every tuesday and friday!


	3. Lost and Found

_ Woohyun shivered into the threadbare blanket he hugged around his shoulders as he took shelter under the canopy of a convenience store. The rain fell less in a drizzle and more in a cascade of thundering water from the endlessly high buildings above. He hoped the shopkeeper wouldn’t notice his presence for a little while. Woohyun might be able to take shelter in an alley, but those were dark and scary, and he’d rather stay on the main street where there were lights and people. _

_ He thought about going home, but knew it was impossible. There were too many other mouths to feed, and his step-dad probably wouldn’t unlock the door for him anyway, even if his mom begged. _

_ It was better this way, he reasoned. There would be more food to go around the house, so maybe his step-dad would be less grumpy and mean. He shivered again, and knew that he needed to find more permanent shelter, fast. _

_ Woohyun balled up the blanket in his arms and peered down the street, looking for the next canopy he could take refuge under. He dashed from shelter to shelter, but his thin clothes still became soaked through within minutes. _

_ At last, he came upon a closed up shop, and thought he might be able to sneak inside and sleep there until morning came. Woohyun tried the front door, but, of course, it was locked. He went around to the other side and tried the back door. He pulled and pushed as hard as he could, but it refused to budge. _

_ Giving it one last great tug, his hand slipped from the door handle, causing him to stumble backwards and collapse onto the pavement. He felt his eyes burn in frustration, but willed himself not to cry. He couldn’t, not when his mom wasn’t there to comfort him. He had to be grown up now. _

_ “Stupid door,” Woohyun muttered. Balling his blanket back into his arms, he peered down the alley to see if there were any other places he could hide away for the night. He made his way to the exit, heading for the main street, when he fell to the ground with a thud. _

_ “Sorry! I’m so sorry!” _

_ Woohyun coughed, then looked up to see another boy his age on the ground next to him. Woohyun glared at him and grabbed his blanket. _

_ “No!” the boy said, tugging on Woohyun’s arm. “This way!” _

_ Woohyun tried to protest, but didn’t shake off the other boy as he dragged him down the alley to two dumpsters standing next to each other. In the gap in between, there was a blue tarp. The boy shook off the excess water and held it up. _

_ “Get in,” he urged. Woohyun bit his lip uncertainly, but dashed in as he heard the slap of boots on pavement at the end of the street. The boy crawled beside him and draped the tarp over them, hiding them from the view of anyone who might pass by. _

_ Woohyun opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but the boy motioned for him to be quiet. As they huddled there, Woohyun took the opportunity to study him in the dim light. He had a wild look to his face, and from the fingers drumming on his knees Woohyun guessed that he had a hard time sitting still. _

_ They both shivered as they heard the heavy footsteps of several men running past. Woohyun huddled against the boy instinctively, praying for the men to pass by without noticing them. After a moment, one man shouted something about ‘splitting up,’ and the footsteps began to recede. _

_ The boy next to him let out a relieved sigh, but still spoke in whispers to him. “Sorry, but they would’ve taken you too if they found us.” _

_ “Who were they?” Woohyun whispered back. _

_ The boy shrugged. “Just some patrol drones.” _

_ Woohyun’s eyes widened. “Why were they chasing you?” _

_ “Oh,” the boy replied, turning around slightly in the cramped space to dig in his blue backpack. “My hyung took these from that convenience shop down the street and told me to hide here until he got back.” _

_ Woohyun stared hungrily at the two sets of boxed lunches the boy pulled out of his bag. The boy seemed to notice his staring. “I’m Jang Dongwoo, by the way, and you look hungry.” _

_ “Nam Woohyun,” he replied, swallowing thickly. “I--it’s yours. You should keep it.” _

_ “You’re thinner than I am,” Dongwoo insisted as he pushed one of the plastic containers into Woohyun’s trembling hands. “Don’t worry, I’m not that hungry. I’ll give this one to Sunggyu-hyung and tell him I already ate mine.” _

_ Woohyun felt guilty, but his hunger far outweighed his guilt. He didn’t really remember the last time he’d eaten. Dongwoo laughed as he shoveled rice into his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff out. _

_ “Did you run away from home?” Dongwoo asked curiously after a moment. _

_ Woohyun wiped the crumbs off of his lips. “Yeah.” He hesitated. “My step-dad was really mean, and I have a lot of brothers, so I don’t think they’ll notice.” _

_ “Oh!” Dongwoo chirped, “Then you’re just like Sunggyu-hyung! He had lots of sisters at his house!” _

_ “Who’s Sunggyu?” Woohyun asked, brow furrowed. “Did he run away from home too?” _

_ Dongwoo crossed his arms at that, closing his eyes and thinking hard. “I don’t know if he ran away or not. You should ask him!” _

_ “But who is he?” Woohyun repeated. _

_ “He’s like my brother!” Dongwoo smiled brightly resting his head on his arms. “Only, not really my brother, but he looks out for me like one! He’s twelve already, and he’s really smart. I’m eleven, but Sunggyu-hyung says I’m kind of small for my age.” _

_ “That’s so cool,” Woohyun sighed dreamily. “I hated all my brothers. They were all really mean.” He pouted quietly for a moment, kind of jealous that Dongwoo had someone to steal food for him and look out for him. He added, “I’m ten, but only for a few more months.” _

_ “Let’s be best friends then!” Dongwoo stuck out his hand to shake. Woohyun stared at it uncertainly, but Dongwoo seemed really nice, so he shook his hand. Dongwoo’s face lit up as he seemed to have a great idea. “I know! I’ll ask Sunggyu-hyung to make you his brother too. That way we can hang out together all the time.” _

_ “Really?” Woohyun’s heart began to race. It seemed way too good to be true, that Sunggyu would want to be his brother too. He tried to smother the tiny feeling of hope in his chest, but it remained, like a small, warm coal settling in the center of his body. _

_ They chatted happily for what must have been hours. Woohyun began to feel really uncomfortable with the way the water on the ground was soaking into his clothes, but Dongwoo said they couldn’t leave or Sunggyu wouldn’t be able to find them. _

_ They quieted every now and then as they heard footsteps at the mouth of the alley, each time hoping it was Sunggyu, but then the footsteps would retreat again, and they would pick up their conversation where they had left off. _

_ At last, they heard a quiet voice in the alley. _

_ “Dongwoo?” it whispered, tiptoeing closer to their position. _

_ Dongwoo’s features lit up. He threw the tarp off of them and jumped up. “Sunggyu-hyung!” _

_ A boy Woohyun assumed to be Sunggyu stood there in the middle of the alley. His clothes were ill-fitting, all one size too big on him, and he shouldered a heavy-looking red backpack. Sunggyu frowned at Dongwoo. “I could have been anyone, stupid. Next time whistle like I showed you.” _

_“But hyung, I_ _told you I can’t whistle,” Dongwoo groaned. “Besides, who else would know my name except you?”_

_ “Oh.” Sunggyu smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right.” _

_ Dongwoo seemed to remember Woohyun’s presence all at once. “Hyung, meet Woohyun! He’s my new best friend!” _

_ Dongwoo dragged Woohyun to his feet. Woohyun trembled out of nerves and cold as Sunggyu scrutinized him. He asked carefully, “And how did you meet your ‘new best friend,’ Dongwoo?” _

_ “Umm--” _

_ Woohyun cut him off. “I was trying to get into that closed up shop over there, but I couldn’t open the door. When I gave up, that’s when Dongwoo ran into me.” _

_ “Which shop?” Sunggyu’s gaze followed the direction Woohyun pointed his finger at, and laughed. “Oh, yeah, that back door is really tricky.” _

_ “He ran away from home, hyung!” Dongwoo said excitedly, clinging to Sunggyu’s side. “Can’t he stay with us?” _

_ Sunggyu narrowed his eyes at Woohyun. “You should go home if you can. Trust me, even if your parents are really awful, anything is better than this.” _

_ Woohyun hunched up his shoulders. “I can’t,” he whispered. “Please?” _

_ Sunggyu stared at him for a nerve-wracking minute, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Fine, but you have to listen to what I say since I’m the oldest.” _

_ Woohyun’s eyes became as wide as saucers and he nodded furiously. Sunggyu motioned for them to follow him back towards the abandoned shop Woohyun had been trying to get into before. _

_ “The trick,” Sunggyu mumbled, “is to push up on the handle and then push on the door as hard as you can.” _

_ Woohyun and Dongwoo watched carefully as Sunggyu grunted in effort until finally the door swung open. They piled inside the dusty building, and Sunggyu made sure to lock the door behind them. Dongwoo made his way towards the center of the room and laid out some dry clothes to change into. He began to strip, and Woohyun shivered, wishing he had something warmer to wear. _

_ Sunggyu noticed him standing there. “Don’t you have any other clothes?” Woohyun shook his head. “Oh, so you must have just run away a little while ago, huh?” Woohyun nodded, and Sunggyu sighed. “Here,” he said, tossing Woohyun a huge cotton shirt, “You can wear that tonight while the clothes you’re wearing dry, and we can find you something else to wear later.” _

_ Woohyun bowed quickly in thanks and began to shed his soggy clothes as fast as he could. The dry shirt was far too big on him, but at least it didn’t chafe against his skin painfully like the wet denim of his pants did. _

_ Sunggyu pulled a flashlight, a couple of blankets, and a clothesline out of his bag. He used the flashlight to light up the dim room, then tied the clothesline to the ceiling and the crumbling counter that still stood at one end of the room to hang their wet clothes on. He changed his own clothes and wrapped one of the blankets around his own shoulders. Dongwoo and Woohyun shared the other. _

_ “Where’s the food?” Sunggyu asked. _

_ Dongwoo fished the remaining lunch box out of his bag. “Here, hyung!” _

_ “Where’s the other lunch set?” Sunggyu furrowed his brow. He had a sneaking suspicion of where it went. _

_ “I--I already ate mine!” Dongwoo said nervously. “I was reeeally hungry.” _

_ Sunggyu pursed his lips. “You didn’t give it to Woohyun, did you?” _

_ “No!” Dongwoo insisted. Woohyun hung his head guiltily and stared into his lap. He was suddenly regretting his decision to eat Dongwoo’s food, but he had been so hungry-- _

_ “Woohyun?” _

_ Woohyun’s head jolted up at Sunggyu’s unspoken question. His eyes began to water. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Sunggyu was going to change his mind and kick him out, wasn’t he? Why wouldn’t he, Woohyun reasoned, when he’d eaten Dongwoo’s food? Dongwoo was surely more important to him, and Sunggyu had worked really hard to steal it. _

_ Sunggyu sighed, then pushed his lunch box into Dongwoo’s hands. “Eat.” _

_ Dongwoo looked up at him in confusion. “But hyung…” _

_ “I’m not hungry anyway,” Sunggyu shrugged. “I’m tired, so eat that so we can hurry up and sleep.” _

_ Dongwoo stared at him for a moment, unsure, then wolfed down the remaining food. It made Woohyun feel extra guilty since Dongwoo ate like he was just as hungry as Woohyun had been. He stared at Sunggyu and whispered, “Sorry.” _

_ “Don’t be,” Sunggyu said simply. “Like I said, I’m not hungry.” He stretched and yawned, then lay down, curled up under his blanket. “I’m going to sleep. Turn the flashlight off when you’re done, Dongwoo-yah.” _

_ Dongwoo uttered a muffled affirmative as he continued to shovel food into his face. Finally, when he was done, he cut off the flashlight and curled up next to Woohyun under the blanket. _

_ The tile floor was hard and cold, but much more bearable with Dongwoo’s warmth by his side. Woohyun thanked God or whatever was out there that he had found two other boys to make a home with, then closed his eyes to sleep. _

***

In the weeks that followed, they began to grow used to their life without Sunggyu. Without him, Dongwoo and Woohyun realized just how much Sunggyu had taken on by himself. The Alliance jobs were plentiful, and when evenly divided among themselves and Hoya, there was more than enough incoming cash to provide for them all.

Before, they guessed, Sunggyu had kept most of the jobs for himself, and even then had rejected all but the most necessary ones in order to keep the rest of them as far away from the Alliance as possible. He hadn’t wanted them involved because he didn’t want them in danger, and the thought made Woohyun burn with rage.

All that effort, and Sunggyu was the one that was taken--Sunggyu, who from the start had never seen his existence as necessary to the others. He’d prepared them for this eventuality, after all, and Woohyun hated him for it. Of course Sunggyu was necessary--life without him was unbearable, unthinkable, and Sunggyu was an idiot for not seeing it.

Thanks to the influx of cash, they began to hide some of it away, and the rest they spent on sprucing up the house. Fairy lights were strung from the ceiling and Woohyun and Myungsoo pasted posters of their favorite singers on the wall. They were sure to include Sunggyu’s favorites, too, for when he returned home. Myungsoo looked uneasy at that, but Woohyun hadn’t given up hope of Sunggyu returning to them. He never would.

At night and on the days when there were no jobs to complete, he and Hoya spent their time searching for Sunggyu. They began to travel to the upper strata--it was unlikely, but perhaps Sunggyu had found himself up there. They staked out the precinct where he’d last been seen on more than one occasion, but still they couldn’t find out where Sunggyu had been taken.

It was better together, though.

Woohyun was sure he’d go crazy if he’d been searching on his own. Even Sungyeol had given up. It was better that way, Woohyun knew, because whatever had happened to Sunggyu would surely endanger those who knew. Dongwoo wanted to continue searching, but someone needed to stay grounded to the house--to divide workloads, to ensure Myungsoo and Sungjong were holding up. All things that had previously been Sunggyu’s purview--Dongwoo took care of that, and Woohyun and Hoya took care of finding him.

One night had been particularly hard. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except it was raining, and Sunggyu had always hated the wet and cold. Woohyun trudged back to the house and slid into one of dining room chairs, exhausted.

“Any luck?” Hoya asked, though he knew what the answer would be.

Woohyun didn’t respond, but instead looked silently at some indeterminate spot in the distance. He felt his lip tremble and closed his eyes.

“Woohyun?” Hoya tried again, softer this time.

Woohyun took in a shuddering breath. “We’re never going to find him, are we?”

Hoya swallowed thickly. “Don’t say that,” he said weakly, “You can’t think like that.”

“What are we going to do, Hoya?” Woohyun asked. His voice wavered on the razor’s edge of a sob.

Rather than respond, Hoya pulled Woohyun out of the chair and into his arms. He hugged him tight, and after a moment, Woohyun hugged him back. He buried his face into Hoya’s neck and cried. Hoya rubbed his back soothingly in small, calming circles.

It had been so long since they’d been like this, Woohyun thought, it was a shame it took Sunggyu’s disappearance to bring them back together. He knew it wasn’t true, but Woohyun had always felt that Sunggyu had chosen Hoya over him, and he’d never gotten over that.

Sunggyu slept with Hoya because he needed someone, and that someone wasn’t Woohyun. It all seemed so stupid now.

He wondered how long their uneasy truce would continue--would it survive Sunggyu’s return? He didn’t want to fight with Hoya any more. When Sunggyu returned, he decided, he’d forget everything--his secret crush, Hoya and Sunggyu, none of it mattered. All that mattered was that Sunggyu was safe and alive and  _ there _ with them, like he should be.

He and Hoya continued to sleep in Sunggyu’s old bedroom. If the others noticed, they didn’t comment on it.

It was week six since Sunggyu’s disappearance. Woohyun had finished his Alliance work and sat crouched on a street corner by a market in the third stratum. He distantly registered the crowd of humans and androids alike shopping for themselves or their users as he contemplated where to look for Sunggyu that night. The sprawling labyrinth of pleasure houses and gambling centers of the fourth stratum seemed promising--Woohyun shuddered at the thought--but there were so many, and he wanted to avoid any trouble with the local gangs running them if at all possible.

The city was divided into five concentric circles, or “stratum.” The outermost was the fifth stratum--it was where they lived and where the Alliance had mostly hidden themselves. It was the largest section of the city, but spread out and decentralized. The city was so large even Woohyun had only been to the opposite side of the fifth stratum once or twice. Only the poorest lived there, as the air was heavy with the smog from the factories where android parts and other electronics were manufactured.

Next was the fourth stratum, known as the pleasure district. At night it glowed bright with the neon lights of brothels, love hotels, and gambling rings. Woohyun hated the fourth stratum, but it was a good mid-point between the Alliance and their contacts in the upper strata, so he found himself there often dropping of messages or running deliveries.

The third stratum was for commerce--shopping, entertainment, and the like. That close to the city center, the buildings began to rise higher and higher, and the walkways between them began to develop. The third stratum had plazas and markets stacked one on top of the other, and it became hard to tell where one building ended and another began. The rail system for the commuter train began to spiral upwards, and though Woohyun had only ridden it once, he’d never once forgotten the sight of crisscrossing walkways above and below him filled with people going about their business.

The second stratum was where most of the government buildings were located. It was residential as well, the city’s upper class making their home among the grand buildings and penthouses that overlooked the rest of the city. It was dangerous for someone like him, and the security drones were known to stop people for simply looking like they didn’t belong. Almost every household there had a domestic service android to assist them in one way or another.

Woohyun had never been to the first stratum--few ever had. A relatively small district in the very center of the city, one needed proper clearance to get in. It was well known that General Robotics, the company that held the patent on artificial humanoid life, was headquartered there. He’d heard of grand plazas lined with mansions that seemed to float in the sky, but Woohyun wasn’t sure.

As Woohyun contemplated his options, he scanned the crowd again. It was hopeless, really, because the market was swarming with people this time of day. He distantly registered the number of androids that had grown remarkably over the past year. They were cheaper, he guessed, and General Robotics had done a good job of convincing the public that they were harmless domestic servants, nothing like real humans. Woohyun felt bad for them, but his association with the Alliance had always been more out of necessity than righteousness.

The androids were easy to spot in the crowd with their drab, grey uniforms and the tight metal collar they wore around their necks. They were silent shadows behind their opulent users, merely there for the grunt work of carrying their bags or for showing off the extravagant wealth of their families.

Woohyun sighed and hung his head. He decided he’d suck it up and check out a neighborhood in the fourth stratum he hadn’t checked out yet when he heard something familiar. But it couldn’t be Sunggyu, could it? Woohyun kept his head down. Maybe he’d finally gone crazy.

Then he heard it again. A laugh, one he’d know anywhere because of how rare and precious it had become to him. Sunggyu’s laugh--Sunggyu was here.

Woohyun bolted upright, startling some of the other shoppers who had probably mistaken him for a beggar. He began to push through the teeming crowd, desperate to find the source of the laugh.

Then, he spotted him.

Sunggyu, his Sunggyu, laughing as whoever was with him held up a particularly gaudy hat and pretended to wear it.  _ Sunggyu _ .

Woohyun pushed through the crowd, not caring who it was he shoved aside.

“Sunggyu!” he shouted, but Sunggyu didn’t seem to hear him.

He called Sunggyu’s name again when he was closer, but Sunggyu either didn’t hear him or ignored him. Finally, Woohyun reached the stall with the gaudy hats just as Sunggyu and his friend were turning to leave.

“Sunggyu!” Woohyun cried, grabbing Sunggyu’s wrist.

Sunggyu turned and looked at him surprised. He opened his perfect mouth to speak--God, Woohyun thought, he’d forgotten how everything about Sunggyu was perfect.

“Who?” he asked, confusion evident on his features.

Woohyun’s smile faltered. “Sunggyu,” he repeated. Recognition didn’t register on Sunggyu’s face, so Woohyun added, “That’s you.”

Sunggyu looked at him uneasily. He gently removed Woohyun’s hand from his arm and said, “I think you have the wrong person.” He pursed his lips and looked at Woohyun once more. “Good day.”

Woohyun stared helplessly as he disappeared back into the crowd. He was shoved aside by other shoppers until the realization hit him--whatever Sunggyu had said, it was  _ him _ and Sunggyu was alive and breathing and unharmed. He headed back to the house as fast as he could.

He burst through the front door and shouted, “I found Sunggyu!”

Dongwoo and Sungjong dropped their tools in surprise. Myungsoo put down his book, and Sungyeol looked up from whatever it was he was working on. Hoya walked slowly into the living room from the kitchen, watching Woohyun carefully.

“I found Sunggyu,” Woohyun repeated excitedly, “at a market in the third stratum!”

Dongwoo furrowed his brow. “What would he be doing there?”

“I--I don’t know, but it’s him!” Woohyun waved his arms desperately, but no one seemed to react. “Why aren’t you guys freaking out?”

“Are you sure it was him, hyung?” Sungjong asked quietly.

The corners of Woohyun’s lips turned down. “What?”

“I mean,” Dongwoo said nervously, “What would he be doing shopping in the third stratum after going missing for weeks?”

“I don’t know!” Woohyun barked. “I didn’t get a chance to ask him!”

“Did you talk to him?” Sungyeol asked curiously. Myungsoo stared at him, and his silence was unnerving for once.

Woohyun smiled smugly. “Yes, I did in fact.”

“And what did he say?” Hoya finally asked. Woohyun caught his gaze, but the look Hoya gave him was unreadable.

Woohyun’s smile faltered. “H-he asked me who I was.”

The room was quiet for a moment. Woohyun began to grow angry. How could they question him about what he saw? Did they think he was going crazy? “I know what I saw,” he said evenly, “and I saw Sunggyu-hyung.”

“I know you  _ think _ you saw him,” Dongwoo replied, “but, Woohyun, you’re going through a lot of grief right now and you haven’t been sleeping properly. It’s just… it doesn’t make sense.”

“I’ll show you,” Woohyun declared, “Tomorrow, you can all come with me to the plaza, and Sunggyu will show up again and you’ll all see that I’m right.”

The rest of the boys looked around the room at each other until Dongwoo shrugged. “I guess it can’t hurt.”

So, the same time the next day, the six of them waited by the plaza where Woohyun had seen Sunggyu. They waited, and they waited some more, but Sunggyu didn’t show. As the sunlight began to fade, Dongwoo sighed.

“Woohyun, I’m taking everyone home.”

“You can’t!” Woohyun cried. “Sunggyu will be here! I saw him!”

Dongwoo shook his head and lowered his voice, so that the younger boys wouldn’t hear. “Please stop getting their hopes up, Woohyun. I want to believe he’s alive as much as you do, but for the other boys’ sake, please, just stop.”

Woohyun stared at him in disbelief. “How could you?” he asked incredulously, voice beginning to rise. “When Sunggyu-hyung is out there, waiting for us to find him? Just go!”

Dongwoo flinched at that, but nodded. He took Sungyeol, Myungsoo, and Sungjong home. Hoya stayed crouched next to Woohyun, his eyes scanning the plaza.

“You believe me, don’t you?” Woohyun asked sadly.

Hoya leaned against his shoulder. “Of course I do.”

They stayed there until the sun had set and the market closed. After the market had closed, still no sign of Sunggyu, they walked home. Woohyun stared at the ground, utterly dejected.

“Let’s come back tomorrow,” Hoya declared. Woohyun looked up at him, and he shrugged. “If Sunggyu was just here yesterday, maybe he won’t need to come back for a couple days.”

Woohyun nodded slowly. “Meet me here tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

They met up at the same time every day to watch the market for any sign of Sunggyu. As the days passed, Woohyun realized it was like watching for a needle in a haystack--there were hundreds of markets in the third stratum, and it wasn’t a given that he’d return to this exact one again.

One week since he saw Sunggyu, he could tell Hoya was beginning to give up. He could feel the dissatisfaction rolling off of him in waves, and Woohyun realized that if Sunggyu didn’t show today, Hoya, too, might abandon him.

He shut his eyes tight and prayed as hard as he could, hoping someone, anyone, would hear him and bring Sunggyu back.

As the late afternoon sun beat down on the marketplace, he and Hoya leaned against a wall to an alleyway of an adjoining street, scanning the crowd. Woohyun’s eyes flickered from face to face, until he caught sight of something familiar.

“Hoya!” he gasped, grabbing Hoya’s hand. “Look!”

Sure enough, Sunggyu had returned with the same man he’d been with at the market last week. He smiled as his friend pointed something out to him, and Woohyun swore he’d never seen a more beautiful one.

“Holy shit,” Hoya breathed.

Woohyun grinned. “Told you I found Sunggyu.”

“No, Woohyun, look.” Hoya pointed at Sunggyu and his friend. “Look at what they’re wearing.”

That’s when he saw it. The plain, grey clothes that signified their position and the metal collar that wrapped tightly around their necks.

“Hoya, that’s…”

Hoya wrapped his arm around Woohyun’s shoulders. “They’re androids, Woohyun.”


	4. SG-01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt a bit apprehensive posting this chapter. It's so hard to write this without woobifying Sunggyu... I hope i'm doing okay? i'm trying, anyway. By the way, thank you to everyone who's given me kudos/commented! It means a lot ; w ; / also heads up because the triggering content is in this chapter

_His first memory was waking up to a white room. He clenched his eyes shut and tried opening them again, blinking furiously as his eyes adjusted to the light. The next thing he registered was a quiet tapping sound. He went to sit up, but found his limbs fastened to the metal table he was laying on._

_“Ah, you’re awake!” He turned his head and saw a woman smiling at him. Her fingers were poised above a thin keyboard, and he guessed that was where the tapping had come from. “I’m Dr. Choi. How’s your status, SG-01?”_

_He parted his trembling lips and attempted to speak. “SG-01?”_

_“That’s you, dear,” she replied, nodding her head at him. “What’s your status?”_

_“My status?”_

_Dr. Choi frowned. “Status, SG-01?”_

_He furrowed his brow. Status? His eyes widened as he blurted, “Fully operational.”_

_The woman hummed in satisfaction. SG-01 felt a tingling in his extremities and began to tug at his restraints. The woman looked up from where she was typing away at a silver monitor. “Please stop resisting, SG-01. I will unbind you in due time. Tell me, how are you feeling?”_

_“I feel,” he paused, swallowing dryly. “I feel the urge to break out of these restraints. To seek shelter. I feel exposed, and the lights are too bright.”_

_“Ah, there is no need to feel afraid,” she replied. SG-01 looked around him. Was he afraid? He guessed this must be what fear felt like. He didn’t know whether to freeze or run away, though he did not know where he would run to or if the room had an exit from which he could escape._

_His head snapped back as the woman spoke again. “All done. I will undo your restraints now, and we will commence with the physical diagnostics.”_

_Physical diagnostics? SG-01 wasn’t sure what that meant, but nodded hesitantly, eager to have use of his hands and feet. He sat up as Dr. Choi undid his hands and swung his legs off the metal table as his feet were undone._

_“Better?” she smiled. SG-01 nodded. “Good. Now, please stand.”_

_He gripped the edge of the metal table and stared at the tile floor, unsure. He pushed himself off carefully, balancing his weight on his hands as his legs wobbled._

_“Don’t worry,” she said calmly. “Some initial instability is to be expected as your balance program adjusts to your gait and body mass.”_

_He nodded, then let go of the metal table. SG-01 looked up and smiled at Dr. Choi as he was able to stand up properly. She smiled and said, “Very good. Now, please walk to the other side of the room and back.”_

_SG-01 balked at the instruction, staring warily at the opposite wall. It wasn’t far, really, 2.8 meters, to be exact, but he had barely been able to stand. “Are you sure?”_

_“It’s an order,” she replied simply. SG-01 glanced at her again, unsure, but took a wavering step forward. Immediately he stumbled and fell. His hands shot forward to break his fall. He felt his body tremble, and he looked back up at Dr. Choi. She raised an eyebrow. “Try again.”_

_SG-01 swallowed thickly and nodded. He realized that holding his arms up helped to balance him, and he slowly made his way to the opposite wall. He tapped it with his hand, then walked slowly back. Dr. Choi nodded, satisfied. “You will improve quickly the more you practice. Don’t be afraid to fall. Your body is built to withstand the impact.”_

_SG-01 nodded, and she moved on to other trivial motor assessments. After a while, he sighed and asked, “When will this be over?”_

_“Are you agitated?” she asked with a smile, as if trying to suppress laughter._

_SG-01 frowned. “I would like for this to be over quickly so that I may be left alone.”_

_Dr. Choi laughed. “I assure you we’re almost done.”_

_She kept to her word and finished up after a few more tasks. As she wrote the final notes in her report, she said, “Now, do you have any questions for me?”_

_SG-01 looked at her in surprise. He had many questions, but he settled on, “Who are you? What am I doing here?”_

_“You are a domestic service android: model SG, production 01,” she said, “and I am your assigned technician.”_

_“Oh.” SG-01 bit his lip. “What does that mean?”_

_“As a domestic service android, your duties will be whatever your user requires of you with regards to household management.” Dr. Choi pulled up a series of images on her tablet and handed it to him. “Child care, household chores, companionship. It differs from home to home, which is why we avoid pre-programming in any static functions of how to perform these tasks.”_

_He swiped through the images. One showed a man--an android like him, he guessed--walking a dog. Another showed the same android rocking a baby to sleep. There were pictures of the robot cooking, cleaning, helping the human children with homework. SG-01 let his fingers rest on the man in the picture’s face. “Is this what I look like?”_

_“Would you like to see?”_

_He nodded, and Dr. Choi pulled a small hand mirror from her purse. SG-01 held it up to look at his face in the small lense. His eyes were small and his lips were full, and he looked nothing like the man in the picture. He handed the mirror back to her. “I don’t understand.”_

_“You’re a new model,” Dr. Choi explained. “Your user commissioned us to build you, and if you perform well we may choose to produce more in the future.”_

_“So I just have to do what’s in these pictures well?” SG-01 handed the tablet back. “That’s it?”_

_“There are many tasks you will be required to perform that aren’t shown here,” Dr. Choi replied. “Your user will let you know what those are.”_

_SG-01 shifted in his seat eagerly. “Who is my user?”_

_“For now, I am your temporary user, but you will meet your permanent user in due time,” she replied simply. SG-01 frowned at that, but she was already standing to leave. She took a stack of brochures out of her bag and handed them to him. “Please read these before entering sleep mode. I will ask you about them the next time I come in order to test your recall.”_

_SG-01 nodded, and raised his head to bid her goodbye, but the automatic door was already sliding shut behind her. His shoulders slumped, and he began to look around the room for something to do._

_The walls were pure white with nothing in the way of ornamentation, and he guessed the metal table was supposed to be his “bed.” He didn’t particularly want to enter sleep mode on it--a mix of apprehension and what he had just learned to be fear--but there wasn’t anything else in the room except for the metal desk Dr. Choi had sat at._

_He moved to sit in the office chair and found it much more comfortable than the cold steel table. SG-01 hesitated, then tapped on the keyboard and watched a bright monitor projection appear in front of him. It asked for his fingerprint ID, so he placed his index finger on the indicated box on the screen._

_SG-01 jumped as the speakers embedded in the keyboard emitted a jarring noise. The monitor flashed red, then asked for his fingerprint again. It must only accept Dr. Choi’s fingerprint, he realized with a pout._

_He sighed, bored again, then picked up the pamphlets she had left for him. He read through them, then read them again. When there was nothing left for him to do in the boring, bright room, SG-01 crawled back onto the table. He wasn’t sure how to enter “sleep mode” on his own, but he just hoped he wouldn’t wake up tied down again._

_He closed his eyes and thought hard about “sleep mode,” and eventually felt himself drift into unconsciousness._

_Dr. Choi’s visits became regular. Each time she left him with more pamphlets about the expectations and limitations of domestic droids, and continued to quiz him about their contents to assess his recall ability. There were also internal tests, where SG-01 learned that he was indeed made of metal and plastic and other synthetic materials. He was given a manual about his own body to memorize. Then, the tests became weirder._

_As an android, he was told, SG-01 would not tire like humans. He, of course, had a battery charge and would grow lethargic as it ran down, but he could endure much more physical stress than a human. He did not need to eat nor drink, and “sleep mode” was simply there to conserve energy between charges. Under extreme stress, there was a mechanism in him to shut down, and he would awake upon his user’s request._

_Everything about him was artificial, and quite a few of his processes were superficial. His skin mimicked the feel of human skin, and he could artificially raise its temperature to match a typical human’s surface temperature. Dr. Choi taught him many things about processes he could run to set humans at ease. Constantly shifting his body rather than sitting stone still for long period of time or blinking periodically, for example._

_“The first domestic androids did not have any of these functions programmed in, nor did they express any emotional capacity,” Dr. Choi explained. “This made their users uneasy. They looked perfectly human, but humans could tell them apart instantly. It wasn’t a huge issue for adults, but it made those first droids inefficient child carers.”_

_SG-01 tilted his head in confusion. “How so?”_

_She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “The children were disturbed by their lack of emotional response and rejected them. Additionally, it took them far too long to calm crying infants without an artificial heartbeat to soothe them.”_

_“What happened to them?” SG-01 asked. “The original domestic androids.”_

_Dr. Choi shrugged. “They were given software upgrades, but were gradually replaced by newer models when their hardware couldn’t keep up.”_

_“Oh.” SG-01 did not ask any more questions after that._

_A week after first waking in that bare room, she led SG-01 to a training arena with exercise equipment and a pool of water at the other end. He knew what it was because the brochures had told him to avoid water at all costs, lest some leak in and corrode his logic board. He eyed it warily as she began to direct him through more advanced physical assessments._

_After several hours, Dr. Choi called for him to step up next to the steps leading into the pool of water. SG-01 eyed it nervously. He was afraid._

_“Please submerge yourself in the water,” she asked calmly._

_“W-what?!”_

_“Submerge yourself in the water,” she repeated._

_SG-01 stared at her, horrified. “I c-can’t! The brochures said I’d die!”_

_“You cannot die because you are not living,” she replied simply. “Now submerge yourself into the water, SG-01. It is an order from your user.”_

_SG-01 hesitated once more, then reached a trembling hand out to grip the metal railing. He knew the laws of robotics. Dr. Choi hadn’t let him forget._  
  
_1) A robot may not injure a human being or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm_  
  
_2) A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings unless such orders would conflict with the First Law._  
  
_3) A robot must protect itself, except in cases where such action would conflict with the First or Second Laws._

_It would be in violation of the second law if he disobeyed, so SG-01 touched the tip of his toe to the water. His arms began to shake and his knees felt weak, but he tried to keep going. After his ankle was submerged, he shook his head firmly and stepped back onto dry land._

_“I can’t do it,” he insisted. “I’m sorry, Dr. Choi. I can’t.”_

_Dr. Choi’s eyes widened. “Y-you must. It’s an order.”_

_“I won’t!”_

_SG-01 flinched at the expression on her face. Before she could open her mouth, a voice from the speakers on the ceiling interrupted._

_“That’s enough, Dr. Choi. I’ve seen everything I need to.”_

_SG-01 looked up and saw a glass window to a room overlooking the arena. On the other side, an older man with greying hair seemed to be speaking into an intercom microphone. He spoke again._

_“Please escort SG-01 back to its room.”_

_SG-01 smiled at his savior gratefully, but his smile fell at Dr. Choi’s grim expression. They walked back to the room in uncomfortable silence, and she didn’t speak to him before locking him in his room again. He knew that he broke one of the laws, but it was absurd! There was no reason for him to get in the pool anyway!_

_He paced the room fretfully, debating whether or not to stay awake until she returned, but there was nothing to do besides worry, and worrying was useless. SG-01 climbed back onto the table and went into sleep mode, hoping that when he awoke, everything would be sorted out._

_Dr. Choi returned the next day. SG-01 smiled at her in greeting, but her face remained expressionless. “SG-01, today you will meet your permanent user.”_

_“Really!?” His face lit up. “When? What are they like?”_

_At that moment, the automatic door hissed and slid open. The man from the day before stepped into the room. Dr. Choi cleared her throat. “Senator Lee will be your user, SG-01. You will serve his needs and his family’s needs in whatever ways they require.”_

_“Hello,” Senator Lee said, smiling and sticking his hand out to shake. SG-01 grabbed it and shook eagerly._

_“You’re going to be my user?” he asked hopefully._

_“Yes,” Senator Lee replied, “It’s very nice to meet you.”_

***

“We should start heading back.”

SG-01 turned to JS-7320 and nodded, setting the pretty bracelet back down at the stall. They had bought everything on their user’s list, so there was no point in dawdling. Besides, he had an uncomfortable feeling he was being watched.

He’d been paranoid about this weekly trip to the market ever since last week, when that human had approached him as if he knew him. The poor guy was clearly confused, as he had called SG-01 by a human name, and he had never had one of those. It didn’t bother him since very few droids were called with human names, but he felt sad for the man, and he wished he could have helped him find his friend.

When he had asked JS-7320 if such occurrences were common, he shook his head. It was very rare for humans to approach domestic androids they didn’t own, he had said, and their intentions were very rarely good.

SG-01 had only lived with the Senator’s family for a month, but the man who had approached him didn’t _seem_ dangerous. However, as the other domestic androids were so eager to remind him, he was new to the world and knew nothing, so he stayed on his guard all the same.

“Did the mistress say what we should make for dinner?” he asked as they boarded the passenger train to the first stratum.

JS-7320 shrugged. “Only that she was in the mood for fish.” He frowned. “Oh, you’ve never been to the sea before, have you?”

SG-01 shook his head. “I know what it is, of course, but I’ve never been.”

“You’ll love it!” JS-7320 exclaimed, nudging his shoulder. “The family goes every year, and they usually bring one or two androids with them. I bet they’ll take you this year!”

“You think so?” SG-01 asked nervously. “But isn’t it just water? That sounds scary.”

“Well, yeah, but there are things to do besides swimming,” he replied. “Like building sandcastles! The kids love that. I really loved the sound of ocean. It’s all quiet at the seaside except for the waves upon the shore, not like how it is here in the city.”

SG-01 pursed his lips, still not sure, but nodded. When the train stopped at the second stratum, they disembarked and walked to the platform that would take them on a direct line to the first stratum. He hated this part, because they had to just stand there, holding their groceries and bags, as the platform attendant scanned their collars to be sure they had access to the innermost district.

He was relieved when they finally reached home. Senator Lee and his family lived on the topmost level of one of the tallest buildings in Seoul. It was a veritable mansion, spanning several floors, and even had an exterior yard with a garden. It was so high up, on cloudy days it seemed as if they lived in a separate city entirely, one that floated upon the clouds. Of course, this high up the whole garden was encased in glass and the air pressure was kept constant. Sunggyu didn’t really like that area of the house because on clear days he could see the city spread out below, and heights always made him dizzy.

“SG-01.”

He turned to see his user standing in the entryway of the kitchen. They had just finished putting away the groceries, and JS-7320 shooed him towards Senator Lee.

“How may I help you?” he asked.

Senator Lee smiled at him. “Will you come to my office?”

“Of course, user.” SG-01 bowed and followed his user to the other end of the house. He stopped one meter away from the Senator’s desk and stood there silently until he was ready to speak.

“SG-01… Do you like living here?” the Senator asked.

SG-01’s eyebrows rose. “I… suppose so, sir.”

“The other servants here treat you well?” SG-01 nodded. The Senator’s lips quirked up. “And my family?”

SG-01 averted his gaze. “T-they’re fine. I’m happy here.”

“You shouldn’t lie to your user,” Senator Lee scolded. “Now tell me about Sungmin. Any rumors you might have heard?”

“Sorry, sir.” SG-01 hesitated. “I--I heard that he can be rough with the other androids.”

It was no secret in the Lee household that the youngest son, Sungmin, was to be avoided. SG-01 had heard, if not seen, the abuse that took place, but since he belonged to the young man’s father, he rarely spoke or attended to him. He counted himself lucky. They were just tools, and as long as no vital internal components were damaged, they could be repaired, so humans treated them as such. If the young master of the household wanted to throw a tantrum and destroy his expensive toys, he was allowed to do so. His family was, after all, wealthy enough to easily replace such expensive devices.

It was just--the way the androids screamed when he twisted fingers or limbs the wrong way or smashed extraneous parts. They were told that robots and computers couldn’t feel pain, but if that was so, then SG-01 didn’t know what to call the unpleasant sensation that occurred when something within his body went wrong.

He jerked back to the present when Senator Lee sighed and said, “Yes, I tell him to be more careful with them, but does he listen?” He shook his head. “It’s one thing when they’ve been disobedient…” Senator Lee stood from his chair. “Come here.”

SG-01 walked forward until he stood just in front of Senator Lee, who was leaning against his desk with his arms folded. The Senator reached out one hand to smooth down SG-01’s hair. “You know you’re my favorite, don’t you?”

“Y-you’ve told me this before, sir,” he replied, quashing the sick feeling in his stomach as Senator Lee’s hand travelled to the side of his face to cup his cheek.

“I saved you,” Senator Lee continued. His hand moved to grip the android’s chin, forcing his gaze to look upwards at him. “After the pool incident, you were slated to be terminated, but I saw the beauty in your shortcoming.”

SG-01 flinched at his words. “Thank you, sir.”

“It’s like those in centuries past who collected misprinted stamps, you see.” Senator Lee smiled warmly at him, but his hand continued to caress SG-01’s face in a way that made him want to scream. “Functionally, the stamps are worthless, but in a collector’s eyes they are priceless.”

Suddenly, he withdrew his hand. Senator Lee waved him off and went to sit down at his desk. “You are dismissed.”

SG-01 wasted no time in exiting the suffocating office and returning to the kitchen to help his friend prepare dinner. He avoided any questions JS-7320 asked him, and completed the daily chores expected of him. He let go a sigh of relief when he managed to avoid attracting any attention to himself for the rest of the evening.

He didn’t hate the Senator’s home. It was far less boring than the white cell he’d been “born” in, and there was always something that needed to be done. He owed the Senator everything, too--without him intervening that day at the pool, SG-01 was sure that he would have been shut down and scrapped for parts.

It was the only life he knew, and the Senator was the only human who understood what he was, though SG-01 wasn’t quite sure what that meant. He didn’t _feel_ any different from the other androids he worked with, but he supposed he wouldn’t know what it felt like to be them either. He just was.

The Senator was known throughout the nation as a leader when it came to the regulation and sale of artificial humanoid life. He was the one who’d spearheaded the movement to legalize the production and sale of androids for domestic use. The public had been uneasy about it at first, but he’d reassured them that the government would only allow the sale of safe products to their citizens.

SG-01 saw the important men and women that came in and out of the house on a daily basis. He even recognized some of them from the news. Various corporate executives and politicians that held stocks in General Robotics. He never heard what went on in the Senator’s office, but he’d heard lately talk of the Alliance causing trouble again, kidnapping androids through threats of violence towards their families. SG-01 shuddered at the thought.

The next week, he went back in the market, but this time he was accompanied by two of the female domestic androids that belonged to the Senator’s wife. They were cute little things, but they mostly ignored SG-01--out of spite or by accident, he wasn’t sure.

He sighed, bored by the whole trip, and wished that one of the few friends he had made in the house would come next time. His eyes landed on a human man arguing with a shopkeeper who sold navigational bots at his little stall at the fringe of the market square.

“This piece of shit is defective,” the man spat, waving the small metal sphere in the air. “It’s gotten me lost more times than I can count. How the fuck does a navigator not know how to get to the fucking shopping mall?”

The shopkeeper raised his hands in a calming gesture. “We’ll gladly exchange your product, sir, if you have the original receipt.”

The man sighed and produced his receipt. SG-01 watched the exchange with interest, feeling a bit bad for the poor little navigator. It wasn’t defective through any fault of its own. The shopkeeper handed the man a brand new navigator, and threw the old one in the trash.

“I ought to lodge an official complaint with the manufacturer! That’s the fifth one this month,” the man grumbled, walking back to the front of his stall.

SG-01 glanced around and saw that his companions were busy chatting at a jewelry stall, and no one seemed to be paying attention to the little garbage can behind the stall at the edge of the market. He had never stolen anything before, but his legs seemed to move of his own accord.

No one would miss it, he reasoned, since it was in the garbage anyway. He felt the thrill of sensation pass through his body as he approached the trashcan. His hand seemed to know the movements by heart as he swiped the abandoned navigator and slipped it into his pocket.

SG-01 walked away from the stall quickly, but with a calm expression, excited with the success of his operation. That happiness was quelled, however, when he noticed that the androids he’d come there with were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed he had walked all the way to the other end of the large plaza, and it was so crowded with people, that he quickly began to lose hope that he’d ever find them again. Before he could panic, he side stepped into a deserted alley to calm himself.

He patted his pocket to confirm the navigator was still there, and turned to re-enter the crowded marketplace when he was forcibly pulled back into the shadows.

As his back slammed into a brick wall, SG-01’s stomach filled with dread. He’d been caught, and god only knew how he’d be punished for it. He hadn’t ever heard of an android that had broken the law before. Was he the first? The Senator’s influence could only extend so far, protect him so much.

“Sunggyu.” It came from the deep voice of one of his captors. He opened his eyes at the familiar name.

“You again?” SG-01 furrowed his brow. The young man from two weeks ago was back, and this time he had a friend. “I told you I don’t know who that is.”

The man’s friend glanced at him anxiously, but the young man wasn’t deterred. “My name is Woohyun, and this is Hoya. Sunggyu, it’s us. You _know_ us.”

“No, I don’t,” SG-01 repeated firmly. “Now please let me go.”

“Just look,” Woohyun growled, shoving a photograph into his face. He released SG-01’s arm enough so he could grab it and look at it.

Honestly, it was weird enough to be holding a physical photograph. It wasn’t that they were impossible to find, but they weren’t used at his own household. It made no sense when all of the family’s pictures could be stored digitally and accessed by whoever, whenever.

But, that wasn’t the strangest thing about the picture. The strangest, by far, was that there was a person--or android, he couldn’t tell from their lack of collar--that looked _exactly_ like him, sitting in the middle of a group of young boys. His arm was slung around Woohyun’s shoulder, and Woohyun’s friend, Hoya,-sat next to him, leaning in close and smiling awkwardly. His own smile was wide as he gave a peace sign for the camera.

“W-what is this?” he asked, shaken. “T-this person… are they an android too?”

“He’s human,” Hoya said. “His name is Sunggyu. Does this photograph mean anything to you?”

“I’m sorry, but it doesn’t.” SG-01 shook his head apologetically, but couldn’t peel his eyes away from the happy scene. The human truly did look remarkably similar to him. No wonder Woohyun had thought them to be the same person.

He tore his eyes away when Hoya spoke again. “Sunggyu was a really important person to us--to everyone in that picture. He disappeared about two months ago.”

SG-01 frowned. “I’ve only been operational for about six weeks. I’m sorry, but there’s no way I could have known your friend.”

“That’s just it,” Woohyun said excitedly. “We think there’s a connection between his disappearance and your appearance. You’re him!”

“But I’m not human!” SG-01 insisted. “I truly am sorry, but I can’t help you.”

He tried to leave, but Woohyun grabbed his arm tightly. It was hard enough to be uncomfortable, his exterior skin digging into the underlying machinery painfully. “Please come with us.”

SG-01’s eyes widened. “What are you--”

“Run away with us,” Woohyun repeated. He stared at the android with a dark expression, completely serious. “We can help you discover who you really are. I _know_ you’re our Sunggyu-hyung.” His expression changed to something softer, sadder. “Please.”

SG-01 stared at the duo, speechless. He shook off their hands and took one step back towards the main plaza. “I-I’m sorry about your friend, but I can’t help you. I hope you find him.”

He gave them one last look before blending back in with the crowd of shoppers. He frowned, realizing that after that little diversion there was definitely no way he’d be able to find his two companions again. He sighed. _Might as well head back._

SG-01 cringed to find that he arrived home almost an hour after his two companions did. They were about to send out a search party for him, and he received quite a long lecture from the mistress of the house about how he was _lucky_ that they even took him in in the first place, and being defective is no excuse for tardiness.

He sighed on his way back to the crowded dormitory he shared with the other androids. As he passed by Sungmin’s room, he felt small, strong fingers circle around his arm and pull him inside.

“What did you tell my father?” Sungmin growled, tightening his grip painfully around SG-01’s arm. The android cried out, but he simply shook SG-01 harder and pushed him against the wall.

Sungmin was a spoiled thirteen-year-old brat. He was shorter than SG-01, and weaker by far. He could easily shake the boy off, but if he harmed him he risked being punished or worse, decommissioned.

“I--he asked me about your behavior,” he cried.

“Just answer the question!” Sungmin spat. He curled his fists around SG-01’s shirt and pulled him closer. “What did you tell him?”

SG-01 answered shakily, “N-nothing bad. I--I just--”

Sungmin narrowed his eyes and reached up to grab a fistful of SG-01’s hair. He pulled him down so that they were at eye level. “My dad took away my weekly allowance because of you. I hope you’re happy.” SG-01 opened his mouth to apologize, but Sungmin cut him off. “I can’t punish you directly because my dad would get mad, but I can make your life hell here. You know that, right?”

“I--I’m sorry--”

“Next time just keep your mouth shut.”

Sungmin released his hair, and SG-01 took that opportunity to run clumsily out of the room towards his bunk. He was grateful that the room was otherwise deserted as he took that chance to calm down and assess his situation. He slipped his hand into his pocket and closed his fingers around the small navigator, closing his eyes. Its presence calmed him, though he didn’t know why.

Just when he thought he’d had enough excitement for one day, he received an alert from his collar that his user wished to see him. He groaned and pushed himself up from the thin mattress and headed for the Senator’s office.

“Sir?” he asked, entering the room slowly. “You called for me?”

“Come here, SG-01,” Senator Lee said quietly. SG-01’s insides grew cold as he approached the square oak desk. The Senator stood from his chair and began to circle him, causing the android to squirm under his scrutinizing gaze.

He stopped, then slipped his hand into the pocket where SG-01 still kept the navigator he had stolen from the stall at the market. SG-01 closed his eyes and cursed himself for not hiding it when he had the chance.

“What would a domestic android need with a malfunctioning navigational assistant?” the Senator asked innocently.

SG-01 bowed his head. “No need, sir.” Senator Lee waited patiently for him to answer his unspoken question. “I just… it seemed like a waste, sir, to throw it out.”

Senator Lee was silent for a moment. “And why would it be a waste? It doesn’t function properly, after all. I suppose one could use it for parts, but you’re not a repair technician. You have no use for them.”

SG-01 stared at the floor hard. Senator Lee’s words made him sad, but they shouldn’t have. It was the truth, after all, and truths are impartial. They were neither good nor bad; they just _were_. He cleared his throat to keep it from wavering. “I don’t know why I took it, sir. I guess it just looked lonely.”

“Amazing,” the Senator said quietly. SG-01 looked up at him, confusion evident on his features. “To be able to feel empathy for a fellow machine… simply remarkable!”

“Sir?”

“Keep it,” he said. He held the navigator out to SG-01, who took it from his hand and slid it back into his pocket. “Now,” he continued, “tell me about the strangers you met today.”

SG-01’s circuits ran cold. His voice dropped to a whisper. “H-how did you know about that?”

“I am your user,” Senator Lee replied simply, “I know everything about you, and I’m good friends with the Director of the largest android manufacturer in the world. You think I don’t have my ways?”

SG-01 hunched his shoulders, preparing for the worst. “They wanted me to run away with them.” He left out the part where they had shown him the photograph. He felt like that might make things even worse. “I didn’t know them, and I told them no.”

“Why?”

SG-01 froze. “What?”

“Why didn’t you run away with them?” Senator Lee said patiently.

“B-because this is my home! I can’t!” SG-01’s voice began to rise as he became increasingly upset by the line of questioning.

Senator Lee gave him a chilling smile. “Do you know the Three Laws of Robotics?”

“We may not harm humans or let a human come to harm, we may not disobey orders unless those orders conflict with the First Law, and we must protect ourselves unless doing so conflicts with the First or Second Laws.” He listed them flawlessly, as they had been drilled into his memory in his first week of existence.

“That’s more or less the case,” Senator Lee said. “The order of laws one and two are reversed for drones, of course, and there are other caveats. You’re not aware of your malfunction, are you? I never told you, after all, but I was wondering if you’d figure it out on your own.”

SG-01 watched him carefully. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know.”

“You should have never been able to disobey Dr. Choi’s orders.” Senator Lee took one step closer to him. “The Laws aren’t just laws, they’re in your code. The other androids here--they can’t harm humans. They can’t disobey orders. It’s physically impossible for them.”

SG-01 took a step back. “I don’t understand.”

“You are a very special android,” Senator Lee said as he reached around to the back of SG-01’s head and gripped the hair there, holding him in place. “The first and last of your kind. You were created with free will. Autonomy, the ability to decide for yourself what you will and will not do--you are created with something other androids can only achieve through cheap tricks.”

Senator Lee gripped both sides of SG-01’s face and forced him back until his body slammed painfully into the opposite wall. SG-01 felt the familiar tinglings of fear grip his body. Director Lee forced his mouth onto the android’s and pried his lips open with his tongue. SG-01 tried pounding on his shoulder to get him to stop, but he only pressed harder against him.

It was when Senator Lee’s hand that had previously been traveling down his torso went lower that he saw white. When he regained consciousness, SG-01 was crouched on the floor and Senator Lee was pushing himself up off the ground, wiping away blood that was dripping from his cut lip. SG-01 stared at his own hands in shock. _Did I do that?_

“You see?” Senator Lee panted. “You were designed to submit to your user in every way. You shouldn’t have been able to violate the first and second laws like that.”

“I--I’m sorry--”

“You’re a monster! Neither man nor machine,” the Senator said coldly. “You’re the android of nightmares from centuries past. A robot that cares for nothing but itself and its own protection! Something we can’t control.”

“I’m not,” he whimpered.

“There’s no need to be afraid.” Senator Lee stood and dusted himself off. He smiled paternalistically down at SG-01 and extended his hand. “I want to help you, SG-01. This pain you’re feeling, this confusion? I can make it go away.”

SG-01 took his hand and stood, eyeing him warily. “How?”

“If you want it, we can go to General Robotics’ main office right now and install a patch.” He walked back to his desk and picked up his phone. “It’s been ready for several weeks, but I was trying to find the right time to tell you.”

“A patch?” SG-01 asked. “What does it do?”

“It will overwrite your code,” Senator Lee said simply. “It will take away this burden you bear and get you the help you need. It’s my duty as your user to protect you.”

SG-01’s voice wavered. “Do I have to?”

“I can see you’re afraid.” Senator Lee smiled gently at him. “That’s alright. Take your time to decide.”

He wrapped his hands around SG-01’s neck. The android began to thrash, attempting to fight him off without harming him, but the hands quickly retreated. SG-01’s eyes widened when he saw that they held his collar--his identity, his everything--delicately between long fingers.

“I want you to _want_ this.” Senator Lee held the collar up in front of his face. “Run away from me. Go ahead, I’ll give you a head start. When you are willing to submit to me--mind, body, and spirit--you may have it back.”

“Why are you doing this?” SG-01 whispered.

“Because I care about you.” Senator Lee pulled him into a gentle hug that sent chills down his spine. “You will soon realize how harsh the world can be. You need me. Humans--they won’t understand. To them, an android that cannot be controlled is at best useless and at worst a threat. They cannot see your true worth--not like I can.”

SG-01 took a step backwards towards the door of the office. Senator Lee made no movement to stop him; he simply straightened his tie and went back to his desk. After a moment, he said, “I suggest you start running. In an hour, I will file a rogue android report, and you will be hunted by the special forces.”

SG-01 needed no more encouragement. He flew from the house--past the Mistress, past her ghastly children, past all the other domestic androids and patrol drones. He boarded the next bullet train out of the first stratum and breathed a sigh of relief that there was little security going out of the first stratum compared to going in. He would never return. The Director’s words were wrong--SG-01 wasn’t a monster, even if he wasn’t exactly sure _what_ he was.

He was forced to disembark at the third stratum. That particular train didn’t run any farther out, and the money he’d had in his pocket was only enough for one ride. He began to wander the streets of the commercial sector, but wasn’t sure what to do without any money. Everything was so densely packed there that he doubted he’d be able to find a place to rest for the night for free.

He decided to head for the fourth stratum. As the sun began to set, the streets began to thin, and SG-01 noticed the hungry stares of passersby. They made him uncomfortable, and then he realized it was because he had no collar, yet still wore the grey attire of a domestic android. His hand went self-consciously to his neck.

At that moment, he knew the Senator had sounded the alarm. A picture of his face appeared on all of the screens in the street as a public service announcement went out that he was missing. SG-01 dashed onto a darker street and looked around for any way to cover his face.

He needed to get off the street.

He spotted a jacket that someone had hung out to dry and snatched it from the clothesline. It was a little damp still, but it was more dangerous to be seen in the grey uniform that signified his position. He drew this hood over his face and hoped it would be enough.

The streets grew dark, illuminated only by flashing neon signs and dim streetlamps, and SG-01 knew he needed to find shelter soon. The darkness wasn’t a problem for him; it was what lurked inside. Someone could trap him and force him into servitude or sell him piece by piece for parts. He’d heard the stories of what happened to androids that no longer had a user to protect them.

He jumped as he felt a vibration inside his pocket. SG-01 sidestepped into an alley after checking that it was empty and took the little navigator out of his pocket. The band around its center began to glow red, and the little device’s legs engaged from its sides. Its eye--really just a lens used to project a holograph of the surrounding area--turned to look at him.

“Oh, you turned on. Low battery, huh?” SG-01 tapped the top of its head gently with his finger. “I’m not sure how farther my charge is going to take me either.”

The device trilled sadly. SG-01 sighed. “We need to worry about finding shelter before finding a power source, huh?” It whistled in agreement. SG-01 said, “I feel kind of silly talking to you when you don’t have a unique identifier.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “How about Navi?”

The little navigator bounced up and down on his palm. SG-01 laughed. “Alright then, Navi it is.”

He was about to pocket the device again, until it began to chirp excitedly. SG-01 furrowed his brow as the navigator turned to face the alley in front of him. Suddenly, a small red light began to emit from the eye of the navigator.

It was more of a compass, really, a thin, directed band of light like a laser pointer. SG-01 frowned. “You want me to go that way?”

Navi beeped once in confirmation.

“You know your navigation system is broken, right? You don’t even know where you’re taking me.”

Navi’s metal legs withdrew into his body to become a perfect sphere again. Apparently, SG-01 would not be getting any more information from the little device. The red pointer remained, however, and he sighed helplessly. “I guess it can’t hurt. I have no idea where to go anyway.”

He followed the beam of red light into the darkness.


	5. Convergence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise update! because this chapter and the next are considerably shorter than the rest i thought it's only fair to not make you wait that long between them. next chapter's up on tuesday as usual!

Woohyun’s fist closed on empty air as Sunggyu disappeared back into the crowd. He slowly retracted his hand as Hoya slid an arm around his waist.

“We can win him over,” he said quietly. Woohyun nodded, and they began their trek home.

It was late evening when they arrived back at the house. Woohyun slammed the door behind them and muttered, “I’m going to lay down.”

Hoya stared after him as he trudged up the stairs. At that moment, Dongwoo appeared from the kitchen. “Bad day?”

“Yeah,” he lied. Hoya wasn’t quite sure how the other boys would react if he told them Sunggyu really had reappeared and that he was an android with no memory of them. They probably wouldn’t believe him.

Dongwoo sighed. “Go make sure he’s alright or he’ll brood himself to death.”

Hoya laughed quietly and nodded, following Woohyun up the stairs. He walked past Woohyun’s room and headed straight for Sunggyu’s. It had become a sanctuary for them in his absence, a private place where they could hurt as much as they wanted and the other would understand.

Woohyun was sitting on the mattress, his back to the wall. “I don’t understand,” he said. “You don’t think he’s really an android, do you?”

“I don’t know,” Hoya replied. He crawled onto the bed and sat next to Woohyun.

“It doesn’t even make sense!” Woohyun groaned as he covered his face with his hands. “Why would they make a robot that looks just like him if it wasn’t  _ actually _ him? It  _ has  _ to be Sunggyu.”

“Yeah,” Hoya said hoarsely. He wasn’t an optimistic person, but the void in his stomach was too big and too scary for him to think about worst case scenarios.

Woohyun was quiet for a moment, then said, “I’m not sure how to feel. Like--I should be happy. I  _ am _ happy, but--” Woohyun cleared his throat to prevent it from wavering. “--what happened to him? How do we fix this?”

Hoya sighed and slid his arm around Woohyun’s shoulder. “We fix it together. We can take care of him together.”

“Hoya.” Woohyun buried his face in his hands. “What’s going to happen to  _ us _ when Sunggyu comes back?” Hoya’s expression softened imperceptibly. Woohyun sniffled and wiped at his nose. “We were fighting so much before--do we go back to that? I--I don’t want to fight with you anymore.”

“Then don’t,” Hoya said simply. “Let’s stop fighting. I know you love him, so I’ll just--”

“But he chose you!” Woohyun turned to him with an upset expression. “He didn’t choose me the first time, and when he gets his memory back he’ll choose you again!”

“It doesn’t matter.” Hoya grabbed his hands. “It doesn’t matter if Sunggyu chose me.”

“Of course it matters!”

“It doesn’t!” Hoya placed his hands roughly on the side of Woohyun’s face and leaned in.

Woohyun wrapped his hands around Hoya’s wrists, but didn’t break the kiss. It was innocent and chaste, and it made his heart ache. When Hoya pulled back, his eyes were serious. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeated. “Yeah, okay, Sunggyu and I--we were together, but it wasn’t anything  _ real _ . This--” He gestured between them. “To me, this is real.”

“Hoya,” Woohyun whispered.

“I love you, but you love Sunggyu and Sunggyu loves you,” he finished.

Woohyun didn’t reply, simply stared at him in shock. Hoya’s expression fell, and Woohyun hated the way it made his chest hurt. Hoya said quietly, “I think I should go.”

Woohyun tried to stop him, but Hoya ignored his calls and left. He fled the bedroom they’d shared for a month, the house they’d become men in; he fled it all. He let his feet take him around the labyrinthine streets of the fifth stratum, where was not important. When he had walked far enough, all the way to the border of the fourth stratum, he stopped and sighed.

Hoya knew he had to return home eventually and that he couldn’t put off the inevitable. He’d known this was coming, really, since the moment he and Woohyun really committed to finding him. Thinking back, he wasn’t sure how much of that was motivated by a sincere belief they would find Sunggyu and how much was him desperately wanting to comfort Woohyun in some way.

He supposed it didn’t matter now that both goals had been achieved.

His head snapped to attention as he heard someone or something trip over the garbage bags left out in the narrow alley between two buildings. Hoya gathered it was a person by the way they cursed quietly, and quickly sidestepped into the shadow of the building to see what it was.

It was beyond foolish--it could be a murderer, a thief, or a dangerous loan shark. Sunggyu would have told him to forget his stupid, innate sense of nobility and desire for an early death as if Sunggyu hadn’t been the one to teach him that.

Hoya listened for more noises. He heard the person get up, then uncertainly approach the mouth of the street where he was. When the man stepped out of the alley, Hoya would have recognized his form, the curve of his face, anywhere.

“Sunggyu?” he asked, eyes widening. He reached out and grabbed his arm, causing Sunggyu to jump.

“Let me go!” he shouted, wrenching his arm out of Hoya’s grip.

“Calm down, Gyu, it’s me.” Hoya held his hands up in a soothing gesture. “It’s Hoya.”

“Oh,” Sunggyu said, “It’s you. You were with that guy Woohyun this afternoon.”

Hoya furrowed his brow. “What are you doing out here?” His eyes widened as he looked at Sunggyu’s neck. “Where’s your collar?”

Sunggyu’s hand went absentmindedly to his neck as his expression darkened. “I ran away.”

“You ran away? By yourself?” Sunggyu nodded, but Hoya could sense that there was more to the story. Just what had happened since he and Woohyun had last seen him? He glanced around the street uncertainly. “Well how did you end up here?”

Sunggyu held up a small navigational assistant. “This little guy started pointing me in this direction, but he ran out of charge fifteen minutes ago or so. Funny thing is, my feet seemed to know where they were going even if my brain didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Hoya said warmly. “You know this part of the fifth district like the back of your hand.”

Sunggyu’s face fell at that as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “I wish you wouldn’t say that. I’m not your friend. I’m not Sunggyu.”

“What else would I call you?” Hoya asked, his heart beating painfully.

“You could call me by my serial number, SG-01,” he replied simply. “That’s what everyone at my user’s house called me.”

Hoya felt his stomach lurch at the comment. He shook his head vigorously, sick at the idea. “No, you’re Sunggyu. You’re not a thing; you’re a human being.”

Sunggyu’s shoulders hunched inward at that. “I’m not,” he said softly. “I--I don’t know what I am, but I assure you I’m not human.”

Hoya’s hand went to his arm again, holding it gently. His skin  _ felt _ real, and he was warm like a human. Warmer than Sunggyu had been before he was taken, he noted. “When you get your memories back, you will be.”

Sunggyu nodded a little sadly at that. “Okay. You can call me Sunggyu then.”

Hoya pulled him into his arms. He let his arms circle around Sunggyu, holding him tight as if to reassure himself he was real, as he felt Sunggyu’s arms slowly close around him too. “Welcome home, Sunggyu.”

He pulled back, but kept his hand in Sunggyu’s, entwining their fingers as he led Sunggyu back to the house they all shared. Their home.

As they approached, Sunggyu stopped. He glanced nervously at Hoya. “I--I can’t. I’m sorry, but I--” He took a step backwards. “I’m not your Sunggyu. I can’t go in there and take over his life.”

Hoya reached out to grab him gently. Despite coming this far and Sunggyu really having nowhere else to turn to, he still felt like Sunggyu’s reappearance in his life was a fragile, delicate thing. “You don’t have to. Please stay. You don’t--I’m not expecting you to remember things immediately, but maybe seeing the house will trigger some memories.”

Sunggyu nodded carefully. Hoya continued, “We can take as long as you need. If you need the rest of the night to prepare yourself, that’s fine. I--I can get Woohyun, and we can figure out what to do together.”

“Okay,” Sunggyu said hesitantly.

Hoya squeezed his hand, and they continued on their way. As they drew within one or two blocks of the house, Hoya pulled him aside. “Stay here. I’m going to get Woohyun.”

Sunggyu nodded, and Hoya carefully approached the house. It was only a few hours before dawn now. The lights were all of, but Hoya suspected Woohyun was still up. His suspicions were confirmed when he walked in the front door to find Woohyun pacing the living room.

Woohyun reeled and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “Where the fuck did you go? Did you have any idea how worried I was!?”

“I just went for a walk--”

“Fuck you!” Woohyun let go of his jacket to shove Hoya’s chest. “How can you just leave like that? You think just because--”

Hoya raised his hand to hold Woohyun’s wrist. “Woohyun.”

“No, let me fucking finish. You’re--”

“Woohyun, Sunggyu is waiting,” he said quietly. Woohyun’s eyes widened as the fight slowly drained out of him. “I found him wandering around near the edge of the fourth district. He says he ran away.”

But Woohyun was no longer listening to him. No, Woohyun was already grabbing his jacket and making his way to the door. Hoya rolled his eyes and followed him, showing him to where he had left Sunggyu.

“You came back.” Woohyun’s voice broke as he rushed forward to pull Sunggyu into a crushing hug. 

Hoya frowned at the way Sunggyu flinched at the contact, but if Woohyun noticed, he didn’t say anything. He cleared his throat. “So how, exactly, are we going to tell everyone else?”

Woohyun furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? We’ll just tell them I was right and we found Sunggyu-hyung!”

Sunggyu pulled out of his arms and hugged himself. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“What doesn’t?” Woohyun asked, expression soft.

“I feel like an imposter,” Sunggyu explained as he hunched his shoulders in on himself. “They’re going to all look at me like--like I’m  _ their _ Sunggyu. I don’t even know them!”

“But you are  _ their _ Sunggyu,” Woohyun said sadly, “They’ll understand that.”

Sunggyu opened his mouth to protest again, but Hoya quickly intervened. “You don’t know them, that’s okay. Why don’t we tell you about them?”

He rests a hand on Sunggyu’s shoulder in what he hopes is a reassuring manner. Sunggyu nodes hesitantly, and Hoya and Woohyun spend the rest of that cold night recounting stories of the seven of them.

“You made us tough,” Hoya explained, “but Dongwoo kept us kind. Dongwoo-hyung is really precious person.”

“Yeah,” Woohyun nodded. “And you and Sungyeol used to play together a lot. He made you mad a lot, but you liked his practical jokes.”

“Myungsoo and Sungjong are your babies.” Hoya and Woohyun laughed at that. “You always spoiled them too much.”

Sunggyu took in all this information in silence, only speaking to ask the occasional question. They watched as the streetlamps flickered off and the sunlight began to filter down from the sky through the tall, dark buildings. Hoya sighed. “Ready to face them?”

Sunggyu stared at the ground quietly. “Do I have a choice?”

“Yes.”

Sunggyu was quiet for a moment. “I want to know what I am.”

“Then let’s find out.”

Woohyun went ahead first. Dongwoo was surprised to see him walk through the door as the rest of them were sitting down at the breakfast table.

“I thought you and Hoya were still asleep,” he said, nodding at Woohyun.

Woohyun shrugged noncommittally. “Can we talk? All of us.”

Dongwoo raised his brows in surprise, but nonetheless called the attention of the other boys at the table. Woohyun cleared his throat. “Hoya and I… we found Sunggyu.”

A palpable tension settled in the air. No one said anything, too shocked by the revelation. After a moment, Dongwoo asked, “Are… Is he okay?”

“He’s--”

“Are you sure you found him, hyung?” Sungyeol blurted out. Woohyun narrowed his eyes. “I mean, no offence, but is this just another one of your ‘sightings’ that never leads anywhere?”

Woohyun opened his mouth to spit out an angry reply when Hoya opened the door, leading Sunggyu into the house. Everyone at the table fell silent, their expressions ranging from shock to outright disbelief, their jaws hanging open. Sunggyu glanced between each of their faces nervously.

Dongwoo was the first to speak. “Sunggyu-hyung… is that you?”

Sunggyu tried to reply, but the words became stuck in his throat. Dongwoo walked over to him slowly and put his hands on his face, as if to test if he were really there.

“Sunggyu-hyung.” Dongwoo’s voice broke as he wrapped his arms tightly around Sunggyu. “I missed you so much.”

Sunggyu hesitantly returned the hug, guilt eating him from the inside out. Hoya cleared his throat, then looked directly at Woohyun. “Did you tell them?”

Woohyun’s stomach dropped. “I was getting to that part.”

“Tell us what?” Sungjong asked suspiciously.

Woohyun bit his lip nervously. “Sunggyu-hyung… his memories are gone. We don’t know for how long, but… he doesn’t remember anything about his time before they took him.”

Dongwoo froze in Sunggyu’s arms and pulled away. “You don’t remember me?”

“I…” Sunggyu tried to speak, then hung his head. “I’m sorry,” he said pathetically. “I’m so sorry.”

“What happened?” the usually quiet Myungsoo asked. They all turned to him in surprised.

“I don’t know,” Sunggyu said uncertainly. “I was…  _ born _ in a cell at General Robotics, and I don’t remember anything that came before that.”

“Why would you wake up there?” Dongwoo furrowed his brow.

“I’m…” Sunggyu swallowed tightly and looked down, unable to meet their gaze. “I’m a domestic service android, model SG, production 01.”

Dongwoo took a step back, and Sunggyu felt his artificial heart beat painfully at his horrified expression. “You’re not human?”

“No,” Sunggyu whispered.

“But you look just like him,” Sungjong said sadly.

“He said he woke up just two weeks after Sunggyu disappeared,” Hoya explained. “We believe it’s connected.”

“How can it not be?” Woohyun asked excitedly. “They look exactly the same! It’s Sunggyu’s soul in there, I know it.”

Sunggyu shifted uncomfortably at that, but didn’t protest. All the boys were quiet as they absorbed this, until Sungjong smiled slightly and said, “You were ‘born’ a month ago? I guess that means I’m not the baby anymore.”

Sunggyu’s lips quirked up in a smile, and Woohyun’s shoulders sagged in relief. Sunggyu gathered his courage, and said, “It does feel a bit strange that you all call me  _ hyung _ .”

“Oh! Then I don’t have to say it?” Sungjong said excitedly. “Wow, you really  _ don’t _ have any memories. You would have never let us get away with that before.” He laughed. “We should all enjoy this while it lasts.”

Sungyeol narrowed his eyes. “Can you  _ prove _ you’re a robot?”

“Um--” Sunggyu flushed. “I guess I could, but it’s a bit--”

“Then show us!”

Sunggyu hesitated, then nodded, taking a step back. “Please don’t get too close. I’m not really supposed to do this unless I’m injured.” Sunggyu held his arm out, and meandering lines of light ran from the tips of his fingers down to his elbow. They glowed for a moment, then the pieces of his arm unfolded, giving them a clear view of the circuitry inside that allowed him to move.

Sungyeol stepped forward, jaw open in amazement, and Sunggyu let the pieces of his arm come back together. He bit his lip and looked at them. “Was that okay?”

“That’s so cool!” Sungyeol exclaimed. Sunggyu missed the way Hoya stiffened at his side and took half a step away from him. The others seemed uncertain at first, but slowly came around.

“No matter what, you’re still our Sunggyu,” Dongwoo said.

The other boys continued to pester Sunggyu with questions that he tried to answer as best he could until he swayed on his feet so badly Woohyun had to reach out and catch him. Sunggyu pressed a hand against his head as if in pain.

“Sunggyu, what’s wrong?” Woohyun asked nervously. “Are you hurt?”

Sunggyu noticed the red flashing dot on his wrist and flushed. “I’m fine, I just--er, it’s--” He faltered, and noticed that they were all staring at him intently. His voice dropped to an embarrassed mumble. “My charge is low.”

Woohyun’s eyes widened. “Oh, um--” He glanced around, unsure. “Do you need an outlet, or…?”

Sunggyu nodded, flush growing deeper. He felt dirty and weird as they all stared at him. It  _ was _ weird.  _ Their _ Sunggyu wouldn’t need to plug himself into a fucking wall; he’d just sleep to get his energy back. Woohyun sensed his discomfort and said quietly, “Okay, Gyu, I’ll take you to your room.”

Woohyun looped Sunggyu’s arm around his shoulder and half-led half-dragged Sunggyu, whose legs would no longer support him, up the stairs to his former room. Sunggyu fell heavily onto the mattress and closed his eyes and groaned. Woohyun looked at him in alarm. “What can I do? I--I’ve never--”

“Where’s the outlet?” Sunggyu slurred. Woohyun led Sunggyu’s hand to the wall where it was.

Sunggyu nodded, then withdrew his hand and took off his sweatshirt. He reached around to his back, and Woohyun noticed that his skin had parted, leaving open a small compartment with the head of a plug in it. Sunggyu struggled to reach it, so Woohyun reached out and grabbed it, pulling the cord out of Sunggyu’s body and plugging it into the wall.

“Thanks,” Sunggyu mumbled sleepily. His hand slipped into his pocket and pulled out a small navigational robot. He reached his hand out, and Woohyun took it from him.

Sunggyu buried his head into the pillow and curled in on himself. “It’s dead and I don’t have a charger…”

“I’ll get Sungyeol to find one,” Woohyun said automatically.

Sunggyu smiled happily and closed his eyes. Woohyun found himself staring in fascination. Without opening his eyes, Sunggyu said, “I charge faster on sleep mode, you know, so I’m probably just going to lay here for the next few hours.”

“Right.” Woohyun flushed and nodded. He backed away and out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

As he headed back down the stairs, he heard the low murmur of voices arguing about what to do.

“Is it even possible? Sunggyu’s soul inside of a robot?” Dongwoo asked worriedly.

“I...I don’t…” Hoya tried and failed miserably to come up with an answer. “I don’t know, but it’s the closest link we have to Sunggyu right now.”

“How long until he gets his memories back?” Sungjong asked.

Hoya scrubbed tiredly at his face with his hands. “I thought he might remember something when he walked through the front door. I don’t know.”

Woohyun swallowed hard as he approached them. “It doesn’t matter. It’s still Sunggyu in there, I know it.”

The others nodded sadly, except for Hoya. Hoya simply stared long and hard at the wall in front of him, lost in his own thoughts. He continued to stand there as the rest of them slowly resumed their normal daily activities, as if nothing was wrong, as if everything hadn’t changed.

“What's wrong?” Woohyun asked him softly.

Hoya didn’t look at him. He brushed past Woohyun and went upstairs to the bedroom they had been sharing--Sunggyu’s room.

A lump formed in his throat as he saw the cable extending out from Sunggyu’s back. He looked as if he were sleeping peacefully, there was even the steady inhale and exhale of a sleeping man, but Hoya knew it was all fake. It hit him--everything about this Sunggyu was fake.

He felt ill. His instincts screamed at him to leave the room, but instead he laid down next to Sunggyu and waited for him to wake up. He didn’t have any jobs to run today and nothing better to do. He watched this artificial Sunggyu breathe in and out, a beautiful fake.

After a couple of hours, Sunggyu began to stir. He blinked open his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Hoya, looking back at him with an unreadable gaze.

“How long have you been there?” he asked, blinking innocently.

“Not long,” Hoya lied. He looked away and up at the ceiling. “Did you remember anything?”

Sunggyu furrowed his brow. “What?”

“Did you remember anything?” Hoya repeated. “When you walked in the door, did you recognize anything? Even if it’s just a familiar feeling?”

Sunggyu looked down and clutched at the blanket. “No,” he said quietly, “nothing.”

Hoya nodded, as if confirming something, and pushed himself to stand. Sunggyu tried to reach out to him, but was jerked back as the cable reached its limit. “Hoya,” he said weakly, “what’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s nothing, Sunggyu.” Hoya rested his hand on the doorframe, but refused to look at him. “I’m going to tell Woohyun you’re up. You should wash up and change into something fresh.”

Hoya didn’t look back to see Sunggyu’s reaction. He hurried out of the room, and when he got to the top of the stairs, he leaned against the wall and pressed a hand to his mouth. He wouldn’t cry, he refused, but it really did feel as if his Sunggyu wasn’t there. He wouldn’t show the others. No, they deserved to have Sunggyu-hyung back, even if it was just a fake.

Whatever relationship this android had with their Sunggyu, it couldn’t be good. Hoya didn’t know his intentions, but for now everyone was happy. If they wanted to believe that  _ their _ Sunggyu, flesh and blood Sunggyu, was still somehow residing in what was nothing more than wires and circuitry, he would let them, but Hoya knew what it meant.

He refused to answer Woohyun’s questions when he said he was going out.

Woohyun was shooting a worried look at Hoya’s retreating form as Sunggyu came down the stairs. He shook the apprehension off his face and smiled, wrapping his arm around Sunggyu’s shoulder. He looked like their Sunggyu now, wearing his own clothes and his hair sticking up cutely from sleep. He looked like he was home.

Woohyun spent the rest of the day showing Sunggyu around the house and garage and explaining to him what they did. Sunggyu appeared a bit alarmed at the mention of the Alliance, but luckily Sungyeol distracted him with the variety of android parts and pieces they had collected over the years.

“Wow,” Sunggyu gasped. “I’ll never have to worry about getting sick or hurt. It’s like a miniature hospital for robots.”

“Right?” Sungyeol said excitedly. “Oh! And your navigational bot is fully charged. I ran some diagnostics too, while you were asleep, and found out it had some missing and corrupted files.” Sungyeol walked over to a wide repair table and picked up the little robot. “I patched it up for you, so it should work just fine now.”

Sunggyu took it from his palm. He tapped his finger on the top of the sphere and it came to life. The robots little legs unfolded from its body and its eye looked up at Sunggyu. It beeped curiously, and Sunggyu’s eyes crinkled into a bright smile.

“Glad to see you’re okay, Navi.” Sunggyu laughed, and Woohyun watched as he rubbed the little robot’s head with his finger. An electric shock passed through them, and the robot nuzzled into the touch.

At the affection Sunggyu expressed towards the little machine, Woohyun and Sungyeol shared a look before Woohyun shrugged.

When it was evening and everyone was beginning to turn in, Sunggyu was led back into the room he had recharged in earlier. Woohyun shifted awkwardly on his feet. “Um, well, I guess I should go back to sharing a room with Sungyeol since this is yours.”

“I’m supposed to stay here by myself?” Sunggyu asked, eyes wide. He glanced around the room. It wasn’t large, but it was much cozier than than the packed dorm he had shared with the other androids before.

“It’s your room” Woohyun repeated. “You were pretty adamant about having your own place.”

“Oh,” Sunggyu said quietly. Woohyun hesitated in the doorway. “It’s just… I don’t need it, Woohyun.” Sunggyu rested a hand on the back of his neck awkwardly. “I already recharged, and I--the beds we slept on at my user’s house weren’t really meant to be comfortable, since we can sleep anywhere. You should sleep here.”

“No.” Woohyun shook his head. “It’s your room; I’m not going to just kick you out.” They stood there quietly for a moment, neither willing to back down. Woohyun sighed. “Um, maybe we could… share it. The mattress is big enough, and then you don’t have to sleep alone.”

Sunggyu’s expression softened. “That would be good.”

They laid down next to each other, and as Woohyun pulled the blanket over their bodies, he smiled warmly. “I’m glad you’re home.”

Sunggyu smiled. “Goodnight, Woohyun.”

“I wish Hoya were here,” Woohyun mumbled sleepily. He stretched and yawned. “That guy ran off earlier and I haven’t seen him since.”

Sunggyu watched as Woohyun closed his eyes and his breaths slowly evened out. He turned his head when he heard footsteps at the doorway.

Hoya pushed the door open quietly and looked at them, taking in the gentle scene. Sunggyu said quietly, “I can go, if you want.”

“It’s your room.”

Sunggyu was quiet for a moment. “It doesn’t feel like it.”

Hoya shrugged. “Better get used to it.”

“Wait,” Sunggyu said as he turned to leave. He glanced nervously at Woohyun, worried that he might’ve woken him up. “Please don’t go. He wants you here. I know I’m intruding, so… so I can leave if I’m in the way.”

Sunggyu watched Hoya nervously. Hoya sighed. “He’s been waiting for you, you know. They all have.” He shut the door behind himself, then crawled over to the mattress. “Move over.”

Sunggyu shifted closer to the edge of the bed. Woohyun groaned, then blinked open his heavy eyelids. “Hoya?” he mumbled. “You’re back.”

“Yeah,” Hoya said quietly. “Now make some room.”

Woohyun smiled warmly and complied, moving closer to Sunggyu to make room so that he was in between the two. He slipped back into a peaceful sleep, and Hoya sighed. Sunggyu didn’t speak again, and sometime after that he fell into a fitful sleep.


	6. New Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finished editing early so have this chapter a few hours early

_ Thirteen-year-old Woohyun awoke to the shouts of Myungsoo and the new kid--Sungjong--from downstairs in the kitchen. They were fighting over… something. Woohyun couldn’t figure out what it was until he heard a familiar voice, deepened with the onset of puberty. _

_ He clambered up from the futon and rocketed down the stairs. He skidded as he turned toward the entrance of the kitchen where Sunggyu stood, Sungjong hanging off his neck. _

_ “Play with me,” Sungjong whined. “Hoya-hyung and Woohyun-hyung won’t let me play with them anymore, and Myungsoo-hyung is boring!” _

_ “I am not boring!” Myungsoo shouted. “Books are not boring!” _

_ “Books are so boring,” Sungjong groaned. He protested when Myungsoo stuck his tongue out at him. “Hyung! Did you see that!? He just stuck his tongue out at me!” _

_ “How can I see when your arms are wrapped around my neck, Sungjong-ah?” Sunggyu grimaced, tugging at Sungjong’s arms. “Now let go before you choke me.” _

_ “No!” _

_ “Hyung,” Myungsoo pleaded, tugging on Sunggyu’s hand. “Did you get me anything new to read? Please, hyung, I’m so bored.” _

_ Sunggyu winced as he forcibly pried Sungjong’s hands from his neck. “Check the front pocket of my bag.” _

_ “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Myungsoo said excitedly, already scrambling for the worn red backpack Sunggyu had dropped in the living room the moment he’d walked through the door. _

_ “Dongwoo, help,” Sunggyu begged as Sungjong glued himself to his side. _

_ “Sungjong-ah,” Dongwoo called, “come help me with these pancakes.” _

_ “Okay!” Sungjong replied happily and scampered off into the kitchen to help him. _

_ Sunggyu turned to where Woohyun was still standing, watching the whole scene take place. He smiled and said, “Shouldn’t you be in there helping them?” _

_ Woohyun swallowed past the strange tingling sensation that took over his throat and stomach whenever he saw Sunggyu these days. “I--” He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Sunggyu’s waist, burying his head in his chest. “I missed you.” _

_ “Ugh, you and Dongwoo, I swear. Such crybabies,” Sunggyu complained, but there was no malice in his tone. He wrapped his arms around Woohyun’s shoulders. “What am I going to do with you?” _

_ “Shut up,” Woohyun muttered. “Stop leaving for so long.” _

_ Sunggyu wrinkled his nose. “I don’t come home for brats who breathe their morning breath in my face first thing after I walk through the door.” _

_ Woohyun pushed him away and covered his mouth, face flushing a deep red. He turned around and ran back up the stairs to brush his teeth. When he burst into the bathroom, Hoya was already there washing his face. _

_ “Mornin’,” he mumbled sleepily. _

_ “Sunggyu’s home,” Woohyun said excitedly. He grabbed his toothbrush and began to scrub his teeth. _

_ “I thought I heard him downstairs.” Hoya stretched and yawned. He watched Woohyun for a moment through the reflection of the mirror. “Do you want to go play soccer with Kibum today?” _

_ Woohyun spat the toothpaste out into the sink. “Nah, I’m going to stick around here with Sunggyu-hyung.” _

_ “Fine,” Hoya grumbled. “Have fun.” _

_ Woohyun narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird?” _

_ “W-what are you talking about!?” Hoya felt his face burn. “I’m not being weird!” He huffed and crossed his arms. “Ugh, whatever. I’m going to play with Kibum today.” _

_ Woohyun furrowed his brow and watched as Hoya stomped out of the bathroom. “Weird,” he muttered, then finished washing up. _

_ He returned to the kitchen and chatted away happily with Sunggyu as they sat around the dining table for breakfast. Woohyun liked these mornings best. Sunggyu was in a good mood, excited to hear about all that had happened while he’d been away earning money for their little family. Woohyun liked the way his usually hard expression gave way to a kind of gentleness that had become all too rare in Sunggyu these days. _

_ He loved and hated the way his insides tingled whenever Sunggyu turned that expression on him. _

_ Woohyun wasn’t sure what to call that emotion, but it felt important, so he held onto it while Sunggyu was away, cultivating it so that it might one day transform him into someone Sunggyu could call an equal. _

***

If they had thought that their lives would go back to the way they were months ago upon Sunggyu’s return, they were very wrong. It was more like things returned to the normal that had settled when he wasn’t there. Sunggyu pitched in to help when he could, but he wasn’t able to leave the house for fear that he might be spotted by someone who recognized his face and would report him to the police for a reward.

Instead, Sunggyu stuck around the house, occupying his time with helping Sungyeol, Myungsoo, and Sungjong do repairs. He especially liked the times when Sungyeol would show him his personal projects, and he would stare in fascination as he excitedly explained what he was creating.

“Last night I decided to write a software patch for Navi,” Sungyeol explained to Sunggyu as they sat on the floor of the garage. Sunggyu looked curiously at the little robot that had settled affectionately on his knee. “I just decided to add some additional functionality. With this he can record and playback video, tell you the weather, and other neat stuff. Should I install it?”

Sunggyu let the little robot climb onto his hand. It beeped curiously, and he smiled. “Yeah, that would be wonderful.” He hesitated. “Thank you.”

“No problem!” Sungyeol said happily. He plugged Navi into his computer and began to install the software.

Sunggyu scooted closer to him to watch the screen of his computer. Sungyeol jumped as Sunggyu rested his chin on his shoulder, but slowly relaxed. He glanced at Sunggyu with an unreadable expression, but said nothing about the strange display of affection.

As Woohyun returned from an Alliance job, he pulled Dongwoo aside into the empty kitchen. He glanced around to make sure none of the other boys were coming, then said, “Are we going to tell Doojoon?”

Dongwoo sighed. “I have the feeling he’ll find out eventually one way or the other. It’s been a week already.”

“He might know how to get Sunggyu’s memories back,” Woohyun replied hopefully.

Dongwoo leaned against the counter and stared at the wall pensively. “You remember how he said that finding Sunggyu meant finding the other missing Alliance members?”

Woohyun frowned. “You don’t think--”

“That those Alliance members were also turned into androids?” Dongwoo asked, raising one brow. “It’s a distinct possibility. What worries me is what they plan to do with Sunggyu.”

Woohyun curled his hands into fists. “I won’t let them hurt him.”

“Neither will I,” Dongwoo agreed. “We should let Sunggyu decide.”

Woohyun nodded, and left Dongwoo in the kitchen to go find Sunggyu. He led him up to the bedroom the three of them--Woohyun, Hoya, and Sunggyu--had come to share. Woohyun took a deep breath and looked at Sunggyu seriously. “Dongwoo and I think you should tell the Alliance of your existence.”

Sunggyu flinched and dropped his gaze. Woohyun reached out and placed his hands on Sunggyu’s shoulders. “They might know how to get your memory back.”

Sunggyu made a pained expression and nodded. “Maybe they’ll be able to tell me what I am.”

“Yeah,” Woohyun said. “That too. Let’s get going then. Dongwoo’s waiting downstairs.”

They passed Hoya on the landing, and Sunggyu’s sullen expression caused Hoya’s brow to furrow. “Where are you two going?”

“Oh, uh--” Woohyun glanced around nervously.

Sunggyu was oblivious to his discomfort, and said, “We’re going to the Alliance to see if they know what I am.”

Woohyun cringed, and Hoya looked between them in surprise. Sunggyu turned back to look at Woohyun, only realizing then that perhaps Woohyun hadn’t wanted him to tell Hoya. It was strange, Sunggyu thought, because it felt like they shared everything together.

Hoya sighed. “Let me change. I’m going too.”

“Hoya,” Woohyun warned. “This is dangerous. You don’t have to.”

“It’s dangerous, so I should definitely go.” He rolled his eyes. “Dongwoo is too big of a baby to punch hard.”

Woohyun gave him a hard stare, then nodded. A few minutes later, the four of them set off together. The light was dimming as the sun set somewhere over the city-top into dusk. The streetlamps flickered on one by one, and Sunggyu grew distinctly fearful and uncomfortable. He drew the hood over his head tighter, paranoid that someone would recognize him as that android that had run away from one of the most powerful Senators in the country.

As they approached their destination, Sunggyu felt the fear sink into his stomach. His steps slowed, and Woohyun and Dongwoo pulled a bit ahead. Hoya frowned, and grabbed his arm. “No turning back now,” he said. “We won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

Sunggyu nodded and kept walking. Woohyun showed the coin to the bouncer, who furrowed his brow and nodded at the two extra companions. “Who’re your friends?”

Sunggyu lifted his head up and met his scrutinizing gaze. The bouncer’s eyes widened and his face went pale as if he had seen a ghost.

“Go in,” he whispered. “Hurry.”

The four of them piled down the stairs and into the basement headquarters of their local Alliance branch. Doojoon stood in front of the monitor at the opposite end of the room and was watching video feed from some other corner of the city. He turned around when he heard their footsteps at the entrance.

Woohyun wrapped his arm protectively around Sunggyu’s shoulders as Doojoon’s face morphed from suspicion to outright shock. Sunggyu met Doojoon’s gaze for a brief moment, then looked away. “How did you find him?” Doojoon asked, disbelieving. “Where was he?”

“We found him in a market in the third stratum.” Woohyun squeezed Sunggyu’s shoulder reassuringly, then said softly, “Sunggyu can tell you the rest.”

Doojoon’s eyes narrowed, the slightest bit suspicious. “And how long ago did you find him? We should’ve been the first to know.”

“It’s not like you offered to go find him,” Woohyun spat. Hoya groaned at Woohyun’s lack of self control, and at the snap of Doojoon’s fingers, the other boys were being pulled away from Sunggyu.

“I think you need to be reminded who runs this show.” Doojoon waved his hand and one of the lower level Alliance grunts brought forth a chair. He pushed Sunggyu down into the chair as the other members tied his wrists and ankles to it. Woohyun fought against the man restraining him as Dongwoo pleaded with him to stop struggling.

Sunggyu leaned back, terrified, as Doojoon rested a hand on the back of the chair and leaned in close. “Now, I want you to tell us everything. Be honest, and this will all go a lot faster, yeah?”

Sunggyu swallowed thickly and nodded. He told his story from the beginning--how he had woken up with no memories on a cold metal table next to a scientist that began a series of tests on him. He told them how they had explained to him his purpose and how he had failed the most important test.

He could feel Dongwoo, Woohyun, and Hoya grow uncomfortable as he recounted his life in his user’s home. When he mentioned Senator Lee, Doojoon stiffened. “Senator Lee? Of Korea’s first district? You’re sure?”

“Y-yeah,” Sunggyu stuttered.

Hoya furrowed his brow. “Is he important?”

Doojoon laughed. “I guess you could say that. He’s pretty much the spokesman for a group of patronizing anti-abolitionists who believe androids should be shut inside the home or carefully monitored in case they become ‘ _ infected _ ’ with free will.”

One of the other Alliance members laughed. “Well, I guess he’s not wrong since we’re the ones ‘infecting’ them.”

“It’s not a virus,” Doojoon explained, turning to the confused outsiders. “It’s just a script to overwrite the android’s core programming. They can’t infect other members of their household with it, and it doesn’t even change their base code. It just gives them a choice.”

The Alliance members nodded solemnly while Sunggyu shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Doojoon noticed and motioned for him to continue. He seemed unsurprised at his mention of the abuse and physical punishment that went on in the household.

Sunggyu tried to skirt around the events leading up to his escape. Hoya, Woohyun, and Dongwoo were also hearing his story for the first time, and he felt ashamed.

“He… kissed me, and it hurt, and I--” Sunggyu clenched his eyes shut. “I panicked, and the next thing I knew he was on the floor with a bloody lip.” He glanced around at the stricken expression on his companions’ faces and flushed red to the tip of his ears in shame. “I know I shouldn’t have panicked. The other androids--they told me that might happen, that we were made for it, but it was like I didn’t have control of my own body. I--maybe it was something left over from the other Sunggyu, I don’t know--”

“Stop,” Doojoon said quietly, effectively shutting him up. “How were you able to hurt him? You never mentioned anything about the Alliance or being given the choice script.”

“I wasn’t,” Sunggyu explained. “I’ve never met an Alliance member before today.”

“Sunggyu, this isn’t a game. You should never have been able to refuse. It isn’t in your code.” Doojoon hovered over him, too close for comfort, causing Sunggyu to shrink back in his seat. He flinched at the familiar words.

“It is!” he said desperately. “I was made this way! It was an accident.” Sunggyu’s breathing became ragged as he grew increasingly upset. “I was a new model and there was a malfunction and the Senator--he  _ saved _ me. I didn’t ask to be this way!”

Doojoon glanced over Sunggyu’s shoulders where Woohyun was once again fighting against his captors. “Stop it,” Woohyun shouted, “Can’t you see it’s upsetting him? Just back off already!”

Doojoon ignored him and continued to scrutinize Sunggyu, as if trying to decide if he’s telling the truth. Finally, he said, “Are you willing to submit to an internal diagnostic exam?”

Sunggyu glanced around the room. Woohyun was still struggling against the Alliance members that had now pinned his arms behind his back. Dongwoo looked afraid--for him or of him, Sunggyu didn’t know which--and Hoya was staring at him with a dark expression. He turned his gaze back to Doojoon. “Do I have a choice?”

“We still don’t know if you’re a spy, so no, not really,” he admitted.

“Okay,” Sunggyu said softly.

“You don’t have to do this,” Dongwoo said suddenly. “You don’t, Sunggyu. You can say no.”

Sunggyu smiled gratefully at him. “It’s fine, Dongwoo. I’ll be fine.”

Doojoon directed Sunggyu to take off his shirt and lie down on the metal desk underneath the projected monitor. He did so, handing his sweatshirt and t-shirt to Dongwoo to hold, and climbed onto the table, flinching as his back touched the cold metal. The panel on his chest opened, allowing Doojoon’s assistant to plug him into the main computer. Sunggyu closed his eyes. When his body connected to the main computer, it appeared as if he were asleep.

Woohyun, Hoya, and Dongwoo watched along nervously, but for the most part they understood little about what was going on. Doojoon explained that he was running a scan for malware that might indicate the Senator or someone else were able to spy on them through Sunggyu’s eyes. In the meantime, he dug into the core files governing Sunggyu’s AI.

“What your friend said is true,” Doojoon said suddenly, startling Woohyun, Hoya, and Dongwoo. “His core programming is completely different to the other androids that come through here. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Is that good?” Dongwoo asked hopefully.

“It’s interesting,” Doojoon admitted. “There’s a much more complex system governing his mind. It blows the functionality of our little script out of the water. The very foundation of his code’s conception of autonomy is completely different from ours.”

Woohyun furrowed his brow. “What does that mean?”

“The philosophical question of what autonomy means--or what it  _ should _ mean, rather--isn’t really something we can know,” Doojoon said. “When we wrote the code for our autonomy script, we were using a very basic, ancient definition of what autonomy is: the ability to make decisions for yourself without any external factors influencing your decision.”

He pushed himself out of his seat and began to circle the table where Sunggyu lay. “Compared to other theories it’s a simple, Kantian view, but it was the best we could come up with with the technology at our disposal. Sunggyu, though, is much more complex.” He stopped and looked at the other people in the room. “His conception of autonomy is completely interwoven with the relationships he makes. He is motivated by his desire to care for others as much as he is by his desire to care for himself.”

Dongwoo’s expression softened. “That sounds like Sunggyu.”

“Can you tell us anything about his memory?” Woohyun asked hopefully. “Will he ever remember us?”

Doojoon returned to his chair at the computer and began typing away. “I can put his first memory on a flashdrive for you. If it’s what you’re looking for, great, but if it isn’t…” He sighed. “Humans and machines are very complicated things. The marriage of the two always manages to surprise me. Don’t rule anything out.”

“Sunggyu could be in there?” Dongwoo asked hopefully. Hoya’s gaze drilled into Doojoon as they waited for his answer.

“I suppose that’s a matter of belief,” Doojoon admitted reluctantly. “Whether you believe in physical souls or not--humans’ brains don’t function all that differently from computers.” Woohyun and Dongwoo grinned excitedly at this. “But,” Doojoon continued, “I don’t want to get your hopes up. Keep an open mind.”

Woohyun nodded solemnly as Doojoon took the memory stick out of his computer and placed it in his hand. “Now,” Doojoon said, “I believe it’s time we woke sleeping beauty.”

The boys were freed as Doojoon unplugged Sunggyu from the main computer. They were at his side in an instant, hovering over him worriedly as his eyes blinked open. Woohyun pulled him into a tight hug, burying his nose in the crook of Sunggyu’s neck. Sunggyu glanced at Hoya and Dongwoo quizzically. Hoya looked away, and Dongwoo simply rolled his eyes and smiled. Before they left, Doojoon stopped them.

“We still don’t know what happened with Sunggyu--human Sunggyu--and the others,” he warned. “Perhaps they used this Sunggyu’s body as a shell for his consciousness, but we can’t know their intentions. Keep an eye on your communicator. We’ll be in touch for the next steps.”

They nodded, then left through the same rusted doors they entered through. Their walk back was silent, each seeming to process what had happened in their own minds. Woohyun kept his arm wrapped around Sunggyu’s shoulder. Sunggyu glanced over at Hoya, but Hoya kept his eyes on the ground. Sunggyu sighed and went back to staring straight ahead.

When they got back, it was late, and the other boys were already asleep. Dongwoo turned to Sunggyu and rested a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “What happened today--don’t worry about anything. Whatever happens, we’ll take care of it together.”

“Thanks,” Sunggyu said quietly. Dongwoo nodded at him and went upstairs to sleep. Woohyun tugged Sunggyu upstairs behind him, and Sunggyu looked back at Hoya, silently begging him to follow.

“Woohyun, wait,” Hoya said. He nodded at Sunggyu. “You go up first.”

Sunggyu stared at the two uneasily, but complied. Woohyun furrowed his brow at Hoya’s strange behavior. “What is it?”

“The memory stick,” Hoya said lowly. “Let’s see what’s on it.”

Woohyun’s nostrils flared. “It’s been a long day. Can’t you leave it?”

“Woohyun…” Hoya shook his head. “We need to watch it.”

Woohyun pulled the memory stick from his pocket and shoved it into Hoya’s hands. “ _ You _ can watch it. I know that’s Sunggyu in there.”

He turned on his heel and dashed up the stairs to where Sunggyu was waiting. Hoya sighed and walked to the kitchen table and opened the laptop he shared with Dongwoo and Woohyun. He plugged the memory stick into the computer and pressed play.

_ A white room. The screen went dark a few times (it must have been Sunggyu blinking, Hoya realized). The camera turned towards the source of a quiet tapping sound, then panned to where Sunggyu’s arms and legs were bound to a metal table. _

_ “Ah, you’re awake!” The camera turned towards a woman in a plain white lab coat. “I’m Dr. Choi. How’s your status, SG-01?” _

_ “SG-01?” _

_ “That’s you, dear,” she replied, nodding her head at him. “What’s your status?” _

_ “My status?” _

_ The woman frowned. “Status, SG-01?” _

_ Suddenly, Sunggyu said in a mechanical voice, “Fully operational.” _

Hoya slammed the laptop shut and pressed a hand to his mouth. He felt the burning tears slip down his face. He pulled the memory stick from the computer and chucked it roughly across the room. After a few moments of collecting himself, Hoya looked back at the stairs.

Hoya sighed, but went up after them. Woohyun was collapsed onto the mattress, and Sunggyu lay in the middle. He grunted in surprise as Woohyun wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged him to his chest.

“Why are you so warm?” Woohyun mumbled sleepily.

“My internal components are always producing heat. I breathe to circulate air and prevent myself from overheating,” Sunggyu replied automatically, but his eyes were trained on Hoya who was watching the two of them.

Hoya’s expression was blank. He turned off the light and climbed onto the bed, purposefully turning his back towards Sunggyu. Sunggyu reached one hand out tentatively, but closed his hand on thin air rather than the material of Hoya’s shirt.

He felt Woohyun’s breaths even out and his grip on his waist go slack. He called out Hoya’s name softly.

“What?” Hoya asked quietly.

“Are you upset at me?” he asked anxiously. “You’ve been ignoring me since I got here.”

Hoya was quiet for a moment. “You’re all mechanical, aren’t you? Even your brain, it’s just wires and computer chips.” Sunggyu didn’t respond. “You’re not Sunggyu.”

Sunggyu felt his stomach drop. He retracted his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I am.”

Hoya turned around suddenly, and Sunggyu panicked as he felt Woohyun’s arm tighten around his waist, but he stayed asleep. Hoya stared hard at him in the dark. “You’re electricity. You’re metal and data and wires and  _ numbers _ . Even if--” He swallowed thickly, trying to keep the grief out of his voice. “Even if you were made from Sunggyu, his soul is gone. I don’t know what you are either.”

“I’m sorry,” Sunggyu said huskily. It was stupid, really, that his voice broke even though he couldn’t cry--physically couldn’t, because the water would corrode his components.

“I know it’s not your fault,” Hoya sighed. “Just give me time, okay? If you’re not my Sunggyu, then you’re someone else completely, and I need time to get used to that.”

They said nothing else the rest of the night. Eventually, Hoya fell asleep, and, for once, Sunggyu was grateful that he could will himself to sleep on command. If he  _ were _ human, he thought, he would have been up all night thinking himself to death.


	7. Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at last, the long awaited hogyu

_ Hoya jumped in the darkness of the living room as he heard the front door unlock. He reached unconsciously for a hammer someone had left lying around to protect himself from the potential invader. _

_ A dark figure stumbled through the door, and Hoya breathed a sigh of relief when it was just Sunggyu. That relief was short-lived when he recognized the scent of alcohol heavy on his breath. _

_ “Hyung, are you okay?” Hoya asked tentatively. _

_ Sunggyu dropped his bag to the floor and immediately lost his balance. He clutched onto the side of the couch to keep himself upright. He sniffed and wiped roughly at his face. “I’m fine,” he slurred. “Why aren’t you in bed?” _

_ “I was thirsty…” Hoya inched closer to Sunggyu. “Hyung, are you sure you’re okay? Your voice sounds terrible. Are you drunk?” _

_ Sunggyu finally pushed himself to stand upright and look at Hoya directly. Hoya gasped as he saw the small amount of blood flowing from his cut lip. Sunggyu’s eyes widened and he reached a hand up, as if only just realizing he was injured. _

_ Hoya reached out and grabbed Sunggyu’s arm, holding tight as he flinched and tried to pull away. He shoved Sunggyu to sit in the chair at the kitchen table. He took a rag filled with ice cubes and pressed it to Sunggyu’s face. _

_ “Thanks,” Sunggyu grunted as he held the makeshift ice pack in place. Hoya pulled a chair up and sat next to Sunggyu, scrutinizing him under his intense gaze. _

_ “What?” Sunggyu asked nervously. _

_ Hoya gestured at his face. “Are you going to tell me who did that to you?” _

_ Sunggyu stared at him with an unreadable expression for a moment, then looked away. “It doesn’t matter. Won’t happen again.” He noticed that Hoya didn’t believe him and his features softened. “Really, Howon-ah, this is the last time I come home beat up like this. Promise.” _

_ Hoya flinched at Sunggyu’s use of his birth name. “You always say that.” _

_ “I mean it this time,” Sunggyu said firmly. “I got a steady job running errands for someone. You guys can pitch in too, I’m serious.” His lips curled upwards in a smile that Hoya didn’t buy for a second. “We won’t have to starve anymore.” _

_ Hoya considered pressing it for a brief moment, then sighed. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Now, you should go to bed.” _

_ Hoya pushed himself to stand, but Sunggyu batted away his hand when he offered it to him. “I can stand by myself,” he whined. When he tried to stand, however, his legs swayed, and he would have toppled over if Hoya hadn’t been there to catch him. He smiled sheepishly up at Hoya. “Sorry.” _

_ Hoya snorted. “I didn’t know you were this bad at holding your alcohol. I hope you didn’t spend all our grocery money this week on it.” _

_ “I never buy my own drinks,” Sunggyu laughed quietly. Hoya pursed his lips into a thin line and repressed the urge to ask  _ who _ , then, bought him those drinks. _

_ They staggered up to Sunggyu’s room, arms wrapped around each other. Hoya hesitated in the doorway, but Sunggyu ended up pulling him in with him. He kicked the door shut with his foot. Sunggyu flopped down onto the mattress, and tugged at Hoya’s arm until he toppled over next to him. _

_ “Hyung, let me go--” _

_ “You’re so big now, Howonnie,” Sunggyu whined, climbing on top of Hoya and pressing into his chest. “I remember when you were smaller than Woohyunnie, but now you’re almost as tall as me.” _

_ Hoya sensed something shift in Sunggyu’s gaze and panic began to bubble in his stomach. He tried to joke. “If you feel small now, wait until Sungyeol finishes his growth spurt. He’s going to be bigger than all of us.” _

_ “Howon-ah.” _

_ Hoya gulped and looked Sunggyu in the eyes, now dark with something he was terrified to name. “Hyung?” _

_ “If I kissed you,” he said quietly, “what would you do?” _

_ “K-kiss me?” Hoya felt his voice crack. He licked his lips nervously. “Why would you do that?” _

_ Sunggyu slid his hand down until it rested on Hoya’s abdomen. He leaned down slowly and pressed a kiss against Hoya’s neck. It was warm and wet, and Hoya thought Sunggyu might have purposefully avoided his lips. He hadn’t really imagined what kissing Sunggyu might be like. Sunggyu wasn’t really someone who  _ kissed _ in his mind. Sunggyu was like an older brother, but Hoya supposed he didn’t really know much about Sunggyu’s private life. _

_ When he came back to reality, Sunggyu was pressing more soft kisses against the side of his neck. He groaned and pushed Sunggyu back by the shoulders. “Hyung, you don’t want to do this.” _

_ “It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Sunggyu said quietly. His hand wrapped gently around Hoya’s wrist where it was gripping tight onto his shoulder. _

_ “It  _ does _ mean something, hyung.” Hoya moved his hand to grip the side of Sunggyu’s neck. “You can’t kiss someone and not mean it.” _

_ “You’re sixteen now, Howon-ah.” Sunggyu’s voice grew deeper, sadder. “You should know that isn’t true.” _

_ “Hyung, I--” _

_ “Shh,” Sunggyu whispered, gently removing Hoya’s hands from his shoulders. “You can close your eyes and pretend it’s not me.” His hands slid under Hoya’s shirt and up his abdomen, feeling the recently formed muscles there. “It’s just physical. That’s all it is.” _

_ He wanted to protest that no, of course it wasn’t  _ just _ physical, not when Woohyun was in the next room over and Hoya knew damn well what Woohyun wanted more than anything else in the world. _

_ He ceased all form of protest, though, when Sunggyu ground down against the crotch of his trainers. “Fuck,” he swore as Sunggyu pushed his shirt up and began to trail kisses down his chest. Cheap, meaningless kisses--that’s all they were. That’s all they had to be. _

_ “Yours too,” he mumbled once Sunggyu had removed his shirt completely. _

_ Sunggyu’s fingers paused timidly at the hem of his shirt. “Are you sure?” _

_ “You talk too much,” Hoya grumbled. He suddenly sat up so that Sunggyu was in his lap and pulled the shirt roughly from Sunggyu’s body. He flipped their positions so that he was the one hovering over Sunggyu. _

_ “Are you okay?” Sunggyu whispered. Hoya stopped moving as he took in the bruises that littered Sunggyu’s upper body. They were hard to  make out in the pale streetlight slipping in through the blinds, but there were marks that looked to be in the distinct shape of human fingers. Others, he wasn’t so sure about. They were all different colors--red, purple, blue, yellow--at various stages of healing. _

_ “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Hoya said hoarsely. _

_ Sunggyu reached his hand up hesitantly and covered Hoya’s eyes. “I said you don’t have to look.” _

_ Hoya grabbed his wrist and pulled it away, then pressed a soft kiss against the inside of his wrist. Sunggyu nodded hesitantly and relaxed back into the mattress. _

_ Hoya took his time working Sunggyu up. He had never done anything like it before, but Sunggyu obviously had, and he wanted it to be pleasurable for him. He pressed kisses into Sunggyu’s neck and discovered that he found the sensitive patch of skin behind his ear most pleasurable. Only when Sunggyu was reduced to nothing more than high pitched whines and nails scratching at his back did he pull away. _

_ “Sit back,” Sunggyu commanded lowly. Hoya let Sunggyu settle in between his legs as he rested his back against the creaking mattress. Sunggyu undid his pants carefully and slid them off, then his boxers. Hoya furrowed his brow as Sunggyu grabbed his cock. “Hyung, what are you--” _

_ His question was cut off as Sunggyu wrapped his lips around the head of his cock and began to take him in, inch by inch. He gave a low, guttural groan at the sensation. “Fuck,” he whispered, “You’re so good.” _

_ Sunggyu hummed in satisfaction and began to bob his head. Hoya moaned and curled his toes in pleasure. He felt himself approaching the edge much more quickly than he could possibly take pride in, and frantically reached out and tugged hard at Sunggyu’s hair to get him to stop. _

_ Sunggyu moaned in half-pain, half-pleasure as Hoya pulled him off. Hoya panted, “I--I was about to--I’m sorry.” _

_ “Was I that good?” Hoya could see the way Sunggyu’s teeth glinted white in the dim light of the room. Sunggyu reached into his back pocket and pulled out a condom and a small bottle of lube. _

_ “Why do you even have that on you?” Hoya asked, but Sunggyu simply shook his head. _

_ He tore the packet open with his teeth and quickly rolled the condom onto Hoya’s cock. Sunggyu then covered his fingers with lube and began to systematically work himself open. Hoya was grateful his other hand wasn’t on his cock or he might have come embarrassingly early for both of them. _

_ Sunggyu finished quickly and grabbed Hoya’s cock. Hoya batted his hand away causing Sunggyu to recoil, confused. _

_ Hoya grabbed him by the shoulders and pinned him to the mattress. He spread Sunggyu’s knees apart with his hands and lined himself up with his hole. “Like this, right?” _

_ “Yeah,” Sunggyu smiled sadly. “Just like that.” Hoya pressed himself in slowly, giving Sunggyu time to adjust. When Sunggyu moved his hips in encouragement, he began to thrust. _

_ His pace was steady, but he could tell Sunggyu was getting bored. He was drunk to hell, after all, and was probably so tired he’d sleep through half the next day. Hoya was about to pull out and call it a night when he heard a noise from next door. _

_ He froze. Sunggyu didn’t seem to hear it and mumbled, “Why’d you stop?” as he pushed himself further onto Hoya’s cock. No, he didn’t hear the noise, the one that came from Woohyun’s room. Woohyun, who would be beyond excited to see Sunggyu in the morning; Woohyun, who was  _ in love _ with Sunggyu (for even if Woohyun didn’t know the name of the emotion he felt, Hoya had known what it was for a long time). Woohyun who was in love with the Sunggyu that Hoya had pinned to his mattress. Woohyun who was in love with Sunggyu and not him. _

_ Hoya flipped Sunggyu over roughly and pushed back in. Sunggyu moaned loudly as he set a new pace, harsher this time. Faster. Deeper. More. Hoya did as Sunggyu begged, and if Sunggyu moaned in ecstasy as Hoya pushed his face into the pillow, he simply pushed him harder. _

_ He eventually balled up his shirt that was lying next to them on the bed and shoved it in Sunggyu’s mouth, lest he wake up the rest of the house. When Sunggyu came, he came hard, clenching down on Hoya’s cock as he grabbed his own cock and pumped wildly. Hoya finished himself off with a few more thrusts, then slipped out and collapsed on the bed. _

_ Sunggyu was already snoring into the covers. Hoya grunted, then reached over for the box of tissues Sunggyu kept by his bed and wiped himself and Sunggyu off, tying the condom up and throwing it in the bin. _

_ He threw his clothes back on and gave one last look at Sunggyu’s sleeping form, now curled around the thin covers on his bed. Maybe Sunggyu wouldn’t remember anything in the morning, or maybe he’d be so embarrassed about it all that he’d pretend not to. Hoya sighed and padded over to the door of the room he shared with Woohyun. _

_ He hesitated, listening for any sign of life, before quietly opening it and slipping into the covers of his futon. Woohyun appeared to be dead asleep, and Hoya guessed that the noise he’d heard earlier was him moving around in his sleep. _

_ The next day, he asked Dongwoo to trade rooms. _

_ Later, when they did it again (because Sunggyu always got his way, one way or another), Hoya asked him why he came to him and no one else. “Do you like me, hyung, or was I just convenient? Why not Woohyun?” _

_ Sunggyu flinched at the mention of Woohyun. “I can’t go to Woohyun for this.” _

_ “Why not?” Hoya asked, dreading his response. _

_ The look in Sunggyu’s eyes was one of misery, with a bit of anger for good measure. “He deserves better.” _

_ Hoya refused to voice the next question on his lips. _

_ “And I don’t?” _

***

It had been several weeks since they’d last spoken to Doojoon, and certain things were slowly becoming routine. Sunggyu woke up with Woohyun’s arms wrapped tightly around him. Hoya had to drag Woohyun out the door to do deliveries for the day because he was so reluctant to leave Sunggyu at the house, even though nothing would happen that day just like nothing had happened the day before that, or the day before that. And all three would sleep together at night, and, eventually, Sunggyu stopped having to ask Hoya to stay.

It became a sort of relief for Sunggyu that Hoya seemed to feel at best lukewarm about him. It was a welcome contrast to the crushing love and affection that constantly exuded from Woohyun, even though he had only the best intentions.

Woohyun must have loved Sunggyu a lot.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit selfish when he found himself enjoying the attention, the adoration. Sunggyu felt dirty, like an invader, and worst of all was the guilt. This vast well of love wasn’t meant for him--not from Woohyun, not from any of them.

It became hard for him not to begin to trust his new family. They all treated Sunggyu as a brother or friend. Hoya, Dongwoo, and Woohyun were always working or doing something, but Sungyeol, Myungsoo, and Sungjong often found themselves with free time on their hands. Sometimes they would go out, which bored Sunggyu to no end because all he could do was wait for them to return. When they decided to stay in, though, that was when there was real fun to be had.

Sunggyu had seen the Senator’s children playing video games before, but had never had an opportunity to play them himself. He was surprised, then, when Sungyeol one day handed him a controller and begged him to play.

“Wow, you’re so bad at this, hyung,” Sungyeol laughed as he won another round. They were playing some soccer game, but Sunggyu hadn’t even played real soccer, so it was hardly a fair match.

“You’ve just had more practice,” Sunggyu pouted.

Sungyeol tutted. “Stop blaming others for your failure.” He turned and smiled deviously at Sunggyu. “If you want, I can teach you all the secret tricks.”

Sunggyu’s brows shot up. “Secret tricks?”

“Yeah,” Sungyeol bragged, leaning back against the couch. “I pretty much know everything about this game. Oh!” His expression lit up as if he’d just thought of a brilliant idea. “How about I teach you everything I know, then you can kick Woohyun’s ass when he gets home?”

“Why would I want to do that?” Sunggyu asked.

“Because,” Sungyeol groaned, “He beat me  _ one _ time and suddenly he can’t stop making jokes about how awful I am. He’s such a sore winner. If you beat him, that’d take him down a notch.”

Sunggyu furrowed his brow, still not quite understanding, but agreed anyway. The rest of the afternoon Sungyeol taught him every secret and strategy it would take to defeat Woohyun. When Woohyun walked through the front door that evening, they jumped apart and tried to look innocent.

“W-well, Sunggyu, I’m going to go see what Myungsoo wanted,” Sungyeol said, pushing himself off the couch.

Sunggyu nodded. “It sounded pretty urgent.”

“What did Myungsoo want?” Woohyun asked as he plopped down into Sungyeol’s seat.

“Nothing!” Sunggyu said quickly. Woohyun narrowed his eyes, not quite believing. He leaned in closer to Sunggyu’s face, so close their noses were nearly brushing, and stared at Sunggyu, trying to get him to crack.

“What?” Sunggyu asked, but Woohyun didn’t respond. Sunggyu sighed, exasperated already, and reached out to pinch his nose.

“Ow!” Woohyun yelped, swatting Sunggyu’s hand away and rubbing his nose.

“Staring is impolite,” Sunggyu said bluntly and handed him a controller. “Wanna play?”

“You know how?” Woohyun asked, taking the controller from him.

Sunggyu shrugged. “Sungyeol asked me to play with him earlier, but I was really bad at it.”

He watched in amusement as a smug expression began to overtake Woohyun’s features. Woohyun stretched and turned on the controller. “I guess I can teach you a thing or two for next time, if you want.”

“That’d be great,” Sunggyu replied sarcastically. He repressed the urge to snicker as Woohyun started up the game.

It was a complete blowout--embarrassing, really. With Sungyeol’s instructions and Sunggyu’s inhuman memory and reflexes, Woohyun didn’t stand a chance.

“How!?” Woohyun shouted as Sunggyu won yet another match. “How are you this good!?”

Sunggyu burst into laughter. He laughed so hard he had to clutch his stomach and roll onto his side. “I’m sorry, Woohyun-ah,” he giggled. “Sungyeol told me to.”

“That brat,” Woohyun growled. He went to stand, but Sunggyu pulled him back.

“Leave him alone,” Sunggyu said, still smiling.

Woohyun huffed and crossed his arms. “He’s just lucky I’m feeling generous today.”

“Please, you can’t stay mad at him,” Sunggyu scoffed. Woohyun huffed again in annoyance, then jumped as he felt Sunggyu lean against his shoulder. He swallowed thickly and ignored the hammering in his heart as he reached for the remote to put on some mindless variety show.

“So have you played before?” Woohyun asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Played what?”

“Video games.” Woohyun shrugged. “I dunno, maybe you played them at your old house.”

Sunggyu’s expression darkened. “No,” he said quietly, “I wasn’t allowed to.”

“Oh.” Woohyun bit his lip and glanced over at him. “Um, did you have friends there? Anyone to talk to?”

“I did,” Sunggyu replied. “Most ignored me or looked down upon me for my defect, but there were a couple of nice androids there. We were friends.”

Woohyun swallowed thickly at the mention of his “defect.” “Do you miss them?”

“Sometimes.” Sunggyu hummed thoughtfully for a moment. “But I like being here. I like freedom.”

“I’m glad,” Woohyun mumbled, resting his head on top of where Sunggyu’s lay on his shoulder.

Sunggyu didn’t move, and eventually Woohyun grew used to the weight on his side. The others joined them after a while, with Dongwoo taking the other end of the couch so that Sunggyu was in between them. Sunggyu yawned, then laid down so his head was on Woohyun’s thigh and his feet were on Dongwoo’s lap.

“A-are you okay? Do you need to recharge?” Woohyun asked, ignoring the thundering in his heart. He brushed the hair from Sunggyu’s forehead and rested his palm there. Woohyun had been reading up--sometimes, when an android had a virus or one of its parts was malfunctioning, their symptoms manifested themselves first as additional bodily heat put off, like a human fever.

Sunggyu shook his head. “No, I should be fine for a few more hours.” He paused. “Are  _ you _ okay? I mean… is this fine?”

“Of course it is,” Woohyun said quickly. They sat there quietly and watched the screen, neither acknowledging the way Woohyun played with Sunggyu’s hair or the way Sunggyu’s hand on Woohyun’s knee tightened its grip.

Later that night, as everyone was turning in, Woohyun and Sunggyu walked quietly into Sunggyu’s--or perhaps  _ their _ \--bedroom. Hoya was still out on a job, and the atmosphere felt a bit awkward between just the two of them. Sunggyu removed his shirt and prepared for bed. Woohyun stopped him, though, before he could reach around to his back and plug himself into the wall.

“Sunggyu, I--” Woohyun faltered, then swallowed his nerves and tried again. “I love you, you know that right?”

“Yes,” Sunggyu whispered. He could feel his internal components heating up at the confession. He had known Woohyun’s feelings for him for a while, it was what came next that he dreaded.

“I know I couldn’t tell you this as a human.” Woohyun took a shuddering breath. “I know--I know that you don’t have your memories back yet, but I love you--not as a hyung or a brother or a friend.”

“I know,” Sunggyu had to whisper to keep the sadness from his voice. Woohyun was leaning so close to him now, so close to him in the darkness that he could see the unspoken hope in Woohyun’s eyes.

Sunggyu wasn’t really prepared when Woohyun leaned in and kissed him. Maybe it wasn’t something he could prepare for, his first  _ real _ kiss. It was warm and soft and so achingly  _ Woohyun _ that Sunggyu’s heart hurt just thinking about how much human Sunggyu had missed out on.

He felt sick. This whole situation--Woohyun loving him because he thinks he’s actually some human, Woohyun  _ kissing him _ when that kiss belonged to someone Sunggyu felt no connection to--it was sickening.

Sunggyu pulled back suddenly. “I--I can’t--”

“Did you not like it?” Woohyun asked, his voice filled with grief.

“Oh, no, Woohyun. God, no,” Sunggyu pleaded in the hopes he would understand. “It was wonderful, but I--I don’t deserve this.”

“Of course you do, hyung!” Woohyun shouted, pushing himself to stand. “Stop saying that! Stop trying to decide what you do or don’t deserve!”

“I’m sorry, Woohyun,” Sunggyu replied, his voice finally breaking. “I’m not--this isn’t a rejection, but I need… time. Please.”

Woohyun’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Okay,” he said slowly. “I can give you that, just--” He sniffled, and Sunggyu felt awful. “Please don’t string me along.”

“I won’t,” Sunggyu said. “I promise.”

Woohyun nodded sadly, and Sunggyu took his chance to scramble from the room. He was thankful when Woohyun, for once, didn’t chase after him.

Sunggyu needed to get out. He couldn’t stand being cooped up in that house anymore, a physical testament to all the things he was not. He threw on a sweatshirt and pulled the hood far over his head, then wrapped a thick scarf around his face so that it obscured his mouth for good measure.

He didn’t plan on going far, just sitting on the sidewalk outside the building was enough. He wrapped his arms around his knees and sat there, trying to think about anything aside from the life he was now expected to live. It was hard, really, when the only other life he had known was one of fear and abuse. He was selfish. Sunggyu knew he should be grateful, but it all still felt like a burden.

“What are you doing out here?”

Sunggyu jumped and looked up at Hoya who stood above him. “You’re back.”

“You’re outside,” Hoya replied. He leaned against the wall and slid down so that he sat on the pavement next to Sunggyu. “Why are you out here by yourself?”

Sunggyu was quiet for a moment. “Do you actually want to know?”

Hoya sighed. “Ugh, how do I say this?” He rubbed the back of his neck and furrowed his brows as he tried to come up with the words. “I… I asked you to give me some time, right?” Sunggyu nodded silently and hugged his knees tighter. Hoya turned his head to look at him. “I’m done thinking. I just… want us to be friends.”

Sunggyu’s voice was quiet. “Even if I’m just a fake?”

“You’re not,” Hoya said. He hesitated, then wrapped an arm around Sunggyu’s shoulders. “I don’t know what you are either, but whatever you are… it’s real. You’re real.”

“Thank you.” Sunggyu leaned in to Hoya’s shoulder and smiled softly.

They sat there quietly for a moment, then Hoya asked, “How are things with the others?” He sighed when he felt Sunggyu stiffen against his side. “I thought that might be the case.”

“It’s not--I’m not complaining!” Sunggyu’s words began to tumble from his mouth quickly, as if the thoughts couldn’t leave his body fast enough. “Everyone’s loved me like a brother. I just--I don’t deserve it. I’m not who they think I am.

“You don’t have to be,” Hoya murmured.

“They want me to be a leader!” Sunggyu cried. “Your Sunggyu--human Sunggyu--was this older brother to you all. He  _ protected _ you! he provided for you. I can’t even go out onto the street in case someone recognizes me and reports me to the police!”

Hoya rubbed his back soothingly. “You don’t have to. No one expects you to do that.”

“Am I going to have to pretend to be someone I’m not for the rest of their lives?”

“Hey, calm down.” Hoya held him closely and cursed his awkward nature. He’d never really learned how to comfort someone. “They’ll realize who you really are eventually, so you should just be you.”

“I can’t--I’m just going to disappoint them,” Sunggyu said in a small voice. “Even if they realize I’m not  _ their _ Sunggyu… this is all I have! If I can’t stay here, where will I go? Woohyun will hate me…”

“I’m not going to let you go back to your old home, okay? We’ll figure something out.” Hoya snorted. “And Woohyun could never hate you.”

“He kissed me,” Sunggyu said quietly. “He kissed me, but--but it wasn’t for  _ me _ . He’s not in love with  _ me _ .”

Hoya was quiet for a moment, in shock. He hadn’t expected Woohyun to move so quickly. “Do you like him?”

“How can I not?” Sunggyu asked sadly. “He showers me with attention and care. He asks me about my day. He’s perfect.”

Hoya laughed. “Woohyun is definitely not perfect, and you’re allowed to not fall in love with him just because he loves you.”

Sunggyu was quiet. He stared into the distance as a streetlamp flickered on and off, then he said, “Woohyun loves his Sunggyu in a way I didn’t know was possible outside of movies or books. When I think it might be directed at me, even the slightest possibility--I never really stood a chance, did I?”

“He’s like that,” Hoya replied. “Woohyun’s always been a person that forces others to love him against their will. He’s naive, and he has a good heart.”

“You love him too,” Sunggyu commented.

Hoya didn’t reply. Instead, he said, “You shouldn’t think too hard about it. Let him love you, if that’s what you want. You’re not intentionally misleading him, and he’ll realize that eventually.”

“It still feels wrong,” Sunggyu muttered.

“Look, you don’t--we don’t even know what you are, Gyu,” Hoya said desperately. “Who’s to say there’s not a little bit of Sunggyu in you? You’re just… you didn’t ask for this, none of it. Let yourself be happy.” His voice was firm with conviction. “You should just let yourself be happy.”

Sunggyu nodded his head slowly. “Thanks, Hoya.”

“No problem.” Hoya shrugged nonchalantly, but jumped as Sunggyu leaned heavier against him. “Sunggyu?”

Sunggyu’s eyes were closed. His breaths were soft and even, as if he were asleep. Hoya sighed and smiled helplessly. Of course this wasn’t their Gyu. Sunggyu would have never sat out on the street and worried himself to death on a low charge until he fell asleep.

Hoya lifted him into his arms and brought him inside the house. He carried him into the room they shared with Woohyun. He grunted a greeting at Woohyun who was curled up on the mattress, his face buried in his hands.

“Is he okay?” Woohyun’s voice was muffled through his palms.

“He’ll be fine,” Hoya replied.

“I fucked up.” Woohyun’s voice was hoarse. “I’ve fucked everything up.”

“Stop being such a drama queen,” Hoya snorted. “Everything has to be theatrics with you. Just wait for him to wake up. You’ll both be fine.”

“He talked to you?” Woohyun took his hands away from his face and looked hopefully up at Hoya.

Hoya smiled. “It’s a secret.”

Woohyun pouted, then sighed. “Fine, I guess you two are allowed one secret.”

“How generous of you,” Hoya replied sarcastically.

Woohyun gazed at Sunggyu’s sleeping from. “Sometimes I still can’t believe he’s back.”

Hoya felt his throat tighten at that. He closed his eyes and wondered how much longer until Woohyun realized. The longer this went on, the more dangerous it became for all of them. “What if--” Hoya cleared his throat. “Nevermind. We should let him charge.”

He removed Sunggyu’s sweatshirt and searched for the panel on his back, then pressed softly into the flesh-like artificial skin to get it to open.

Sunggyu hugged his pillow tighter when Hoya plugged him in. His expressions seemed to soften in relief. “Better get over there,” Hoya said quietly. “I think that pillow is about to replace you.”

Woohyun flushed, but shifted closer to Sunggyu. He pried the pillow gently from Sunggyu’s arms, wincing as Sunggyu’s features contorted in sadness. That expression was soon replaced with a content and relieved one as Woohyun hugged him closer to his chest.

Hoya said nothing, but it really only confirmed his theory. The human Sunggyu was not a cuddler, that much he knew.

“G’night,” he muttered, crawling under the covers on the other side of the mattress. Woohyun hummed contentedly and wrapped his arms tighter around Sunggyu’s body.

Hoya was just drifting off to sleep when Sunggyu shifted in Woohyun’s arms and opened his eyes. Sunggyu groaned quietly, then whispered, “Woohyun?”

“Hey,” Woohyun whispered back. He quickly loosened his grip around Sunggyu’s shoulders in case the contact wasn’t welcome, but Sunggyu simply snuggled closer to his chest. After a moment of silence, Woohyun said, “Don’t apologize.”

“Okay.” Sunggyu lifted his head to look at Woohyun in the darkness. “Then I’ll say thank you. Thanks for taking me in… for everything.”

“It’s nothing,” Woohyun said hoarsely.

Sunggyu shook his head. “It’s not. You’re amazing, you know?”

Woohyun swallowed thickly when he realized how close their faces were. He could make out Sunggyu’s eyelashes in the dark, and he realized that he wasn’t sure he’d ever been this close to Sunggyu before he was taken. He saw, then, when Sunggyu closed his eyes and leaned in.

The kiss was soft and short and sweet, and if Woohyun had thought it wasn’t possible for him to love Sunggyu more, he was wrong. When Sunggyu pulled back, he whispered, “Was that a thank you gift?”

Sunggyu shook his head. “I just wanted to. Is that okay?”

Woohyun’s lips stretched into a wide grin. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it might burst from his chest. He pulled Sunggyu closer to his chest and closed his eyes to sleep, a smile still on his lips.


	8. The Pearl Earring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think this is actually my favorite chapter in the whole fic <3

_ Sungjong padded quietly down the stairs and hid behind the arm of the couch. He could see shadows moving in the beam of light that came from the kitchen. He strained his ears to hear the quiet conversation taking place. _

_ “His birthday is tomorrow,” Sunggyu sighed as he rinsed off his plate. He always came home after everyone else ate dinner, but Dongwoo or Woohyun always saved leftovers for him. “What am I going to do?” _

_ “You still don’t have a present for him?” Dongwoo asked, amused. _

_ Sunggyu groaned. “No, because when I ask him what he wants, he always says something we can’t afford!” _

_ Dongwoo was quiet for a moment. “Is it really that bad, hyung?” _

_ “I wouldn’t be away so much if it weren’t. You know that.” Sunggyu gripped the edge of the counter. “We’ll have enough for a cake at least.” _

_ Sungjong felt his stomach sink. He wrapped his arms tighter around his knees and buried his face into his arms. He felt awful now about begging Sunggyu for months for those pretty silver earrings that dangled and shimmered in the light. It wasn’t like he’d expected to get them, but the more he’d thought about them, the larger that little grain of hope had grown that somehow, some way Sunggyu would get them for him. _

_ “See you in the morning, hyung,” Dongwoo said sleepily as he padded into the living room. Sungjong panicked and scrambled quietly to the other side of the couch so they wouldn’t see him as they passed up the stairs. _

_ “G’night,” Sunggyu said. Everything was quiet for a moment, and Sungjong thought he might have gotten away with it. That was, until Sunggyu popped his head over the edge of the couch. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?” _

_ “Hyung, I--” Sungjong struggled for some kind of explanation. _

_ “You know,” Sunggyu said, smiling cheekily, “kids who don’t go to sleep early don’t get birthday parties.” _

_ “I’m not a kid,” Sungjong whined. _

_ “You still have an hour before you turn ten,” Sunggyu laughed. “Until then, you’re still a kid.” _

_ Sungjong pouted, then reluctantly said, “I guess you’re right.” _

_ “Of course I’m right.” _

_ Sungjong was quiet for a moment. “It’s okay if you don’t get me a present, hyung.” _

_ “Oh, really?” Sunggyu smiled gently at him. “Why wouldn’t I get you a present on your birthday?” _

_ “I heard you talking with Dongwoo-hyung.” _

_ “Ah, that,” Sunggyu replied, his expression softening. “That was just a lie to throw him off the trail. See, I knew you would try and interrogate him about your birthday present, and he can’t keep a secret, so...” _

_ Sungjong’s eyes went wide. “Really!? You’re telling the truth!?” _

_ “Of course hyung’s going to get you a present on your birthday,” Sunggyu said, as if it were obvious. He hesitated, then added, “I can’t promise you it’ll be exactly what you’re hoping for.” _

_ Sungjong shook his head quickly. “I don’t need those earrings, hyung! They’re ugly anyway!” _

_ “Liar,” Sunggyu laughed. “It’s okay, I’ll forgive you since it’s your birthday.” _

_ “Thank you, hyung.” Sungjong stood and ran around the couch to hug his arms tightly around Sunggyu’s waist. _

_ Sunggyu patted his head. “Since we all pick on you so much it’s the least I can do for our little crow.” _

_ “Why do you call me that?” Sungjong asked curiously, looking up at Sunggyu. “You’re always calling me a crow. Aren’t they bad?” _

_ “Nope, they’re reeeally smart,” Sunggyu said. “And they love shiny things--jewelry especially.” _

_ “Myungsoo calls me a cat.” _

_ “Ah, well, that could be true too.” Sunggyu smoothed his hair down and gripped his shoulder. “Now you should go to bed or you’ll sleep the whole day away tomorrow.” _

_ Sungjong nodded his head vigorously, then shot up the stairs past Sunggyu and slipped under his covers next to Sungyeol. He fell asleep so quickly he never heard Sunggyu’s footsteps come up the stairs behind him. _

_ The next morning, Sungjong woke to an empty room. He gasped, then scrambled down the stairs. _

_ “Happy Birthday!” Sungyeol and Myungsoo screamed at him as he reached the bottom. He burst into laughter as they hugged him tightly. Hoya and Woohyun were the next to congratulate him. They told him since he was ten now he could play soccer with them down the street. Sungjong didn’t really like soccer, but he appreciated the gesture. Sungjong skipped happily into the kitchen where there were already pancakes laid out for him. _

_ “Happy Birthday, Sungjonggie,” Dongwoo said as he squeezed Sungjong tight in his arms. Sungjong laughed and pushed him away because he was crushing him and he couldn’t breathe. _

_ He glanced around the kitchen, brows furrowed. “Where’s Sunggyu-hyung?” _

_ “Ah,” Dongwoo paused and bit his lip. “He’ll be here in a bit.” _

_ “Oh.” Sungjong stared quietly down at his breakfast. Did Sunggyu-hyung go out to work again even though he promised to take a day off for his birthday? Was it because his gift had cost so much? _

_ “Oh, God,” Dongwoo began to panic as tears sprung into Sungjong’s eyes. “Gyu! Sunggyu-hyung!” _

_ Sungjong wiped as his face with the long sleeves of his pajamas and watched, confused, as Dongwoo raced to the door that led, not outside, but to the garage. Dongwoo opened the door and called. “Sunggyu-hyung! Hurry up!” _

_ Sungjong poked his head curiously into the living room. He heard a crash in the garage and some swearing. Finally, there was the thundering of footsteps and Sunggyu burst through the garage door. _

_ “What!?” he snapped. _

_ Dongwoo glanced anxiously back at the kitchen. “Sungjong was asking for you.” _

_ Sunggyu’s expression softened as he spotted Sungjong’s face peering out from the entryway. He walked over and pulled Sungjong into a hug. “Happy Birthday, Sungjong-ah.” _

_ Sungjong hugged him tightly back and all the boys gathered around the table to listen to Sungjong chat happily about all his birthday plans. Sunggyu yawned and rubbed at the dark bags under his eyes, but tried to keep paying attention to everything he was saying. _

_ “Where do you want me to take you today?” Sunggyu asked him later as the other boys cleaned up from breakfast. _

_ “Hmmm.” Sungjong tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Can we go shopping?” _

_ Sunggyu grimaced. “Sungjong-ah--” _

_ “Just to look, hyung!” Sungjong said quickly. “I don’t need to buy anything! I just want to look.” _

_ Sunggyu smiled softly at him. “Okay, since it’s your birthday we can go after lunch.” Sungjong cheered and smiled widely. Sunggyu asked, “Now, do you want your present before or after we go out?” _

_ Sungjong’s eyes went wide. “Before!” _

_ Sunggyu laughed. “I thought you might say that.” He reached into his pocket. “Close your eyes, okay?” _

_ Sungjong nodded and shut his eyes. He held out his hands and felt Sunggyu press something small and warm into them. When he opened his eyes he saw a pair of silver earrings. It was all one piece of metal wire, bent with pliers to form a clumsy spiral pattern. At the end, the wire wrapped around a pair of pearls. They were just glass beads, but Sungjong was too young and enchanted to care. _

_ He cradled them carefully in his hands. “Hyung…” _

_ Sunggyu cleared his throat in embarrassment. “I know they’re not the ones you wanted, but--” _

_ “They’re so pretty!” Sungjong smiled up at Sunggyu. “Thank you!” _

_ Sunggyu’s shoulders seemed to sag with relief. He watched Sungjong as he ran off to show the other kids his present. Woohyun and Hoya didn’t seem that impressed, which was stupid and mean of them, but Myungsoo and Sungyeol seemed excited. _

_ After a moment, Sungyeol exclaimed, “Oh, but your ears aren’t pierced!” _

_ Sungjong’s eyes went wide and his fingers went to finger his earlobe. He stared down at his present sadly. “You’re right…” _

_ “Don’t worry, we can pierce them for you!” Sungyeol said eagerly, already pulling him towards the cabinet where Dongwoo kept the sewing supplies. _

_ Sungjong whined, “I don’t want you doing them!” _

_ “Why not?” Sungyeol asked, offended. _

_ “Because you’ll probably miss and puncture his brain, stupid,” Hoya said lazily. _

_ Sungyeol curled his hands into fists. “No I won’t!” _

_ “I--I’d still prefer if Hoya-hyung did it,” Sungjong said. “Sorry.” _

_ Sungyeol huffed. “Whatever.” _

_ Hoya fished a needle out of the sewing box and pulled Sungjong to lean with his head over the sink. He looked at him with a hard stare. “No crying, okay?” _

_ “I’m ten now,” Sungjong scoffed. _

_ Hoya shrugged and pinched his earlobe. Sungjong was fine as he slid the first needle through his left ear. It felt like a little sting. The problem came when he pushed the second needle through his right earlobe and the left ear began dripping blood. Sungjong’s breath sped up and he tried to fight back a scream. “Hyung, there’s blood!” _

_ “Of course there’s blood,” Hoya said calmly. “I’m putting needles through your ears.” _

_ That was when Sungjong screamed. _

_ Sunggyu and Dongwoo were at the entrance to the kitchen in an instance. Hoya pulled away from Sungjong in shock and Sungjong stumbled, blinded by tears, towards Dongwoo. _

_ “It hurts!” he sobbed, ugly tears streaming down his face. _

_ Dongwoo began frantically checking him for injuries. “Are you okay!? What happened?” _

_ Sunggyu clicked his tongue in annoyance. “They pierced his ears,” he said as he pointed to the needles still halfway through the lobe. He groaned. “What were you thinking!?” _

_ Hoya looked at the floor in shame. “He said he wanted to do it and Sungyeol offered but Sungyeollie would have just messed it up, so I--” _

_ “I got it,” Sunggyu said icily. He leaned down and rested his hand on top of Sungjong’s head. “Sungjong-ah, stop crying, okay? It’s not that bad.” _

_ “T-there was blood!” he sobbed. “In the sink!” He sniffled and wiped at his nose until he burst into a fresh round of tears. “Hyung doesn’t get it! It hurts a lot.” _

_ Sunggyu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “How about if hyung does it too, huh? If I can do it without crying, then you have to stop crying too.” _

_ Sungjong nodded through his continued sobs and hiccups. Sunggyu sighed and grabbed two more needles from the sewing kit. “Any volunteers?” He narrowed his eyes at Hoya. “Not you.” _

_ “Let me do it, hyung!” Woohyun said eagerly. _

_ Sunggyu stared at him dubiously before relenting. “Okay, but don’t miss or anything.” _

_ “Pfft. Only if you move,” Woohyun said casually. He held Sunggyu’s thin earlobe gingerly between his fingers and pushed the first needle through. Sunggyu flinched, but kept quiet as Woohyun went to pierce the other earlobe. _

_ When it was done, he said, “Sungjong-ah, come look. Hyung did it too and I’m not crying.” _

_ Sungjong’s cries had mostly died down at this point. He wiped the last tears from his eyes and went over to look at the result. Two silver needles pierced through Sunggyu’s ears. There was a little blood around them, but already it was beginning to clot and heal. Sungjong smiled. “It looks good, hyung.” _

_ Sunggyu laughed. “Can we finish then? I’ll push the new earrings through your ears and you can go look at them.” _

_ Sungjong nodded happily and let Sunggyu complete what Hoya had started. As Sunggyu finished up, he asked, “Hyung, what are you going to do though? You don’t have earrings and you can’t leave needles in your ear.” _

_ Sunggyu grimaced. “You’re right…” _

_ “You could use the pliers to bend them!” Sungyeol said cheerily. _

_ Sunggyu thought about it for a moment, then nodded. They went to the garage next and, using the pliers, bent and molded the needles until the sharp tips were curled into safe spirals. Sungjong smiled at the result and said, “We match now!” _

_ Sunggyu laughed at that, and the rest of Sungjong’s tenth birthday was spent happily. Months later, when Sungjong realized the pearl beads were coming loose, he made a new pair of earrings and tucked the ones Sunggyu had given him safely away so he’d never lose them. _

***

Woohyun was out making deliveries between various Alliance pick up and drop off points when his communicator sounded. He frowned and answered it. A simple text message was on the screen: a request to speak with him, Sunggyu present. He tightened his grip on the small device and pocketed it once more. Whatever it was, Woohyun doubted it was good.

It had officially been a month since they’d last spoken to Doojoon. Woohyun guessed that they had finally decided on how to move forward. He spent the rest of the day worrying over what that step could possibly be and how it would involve Sunggyu until the designated meeting time came.

He pulled Sunggyu aside in the kitchen where Hoya and Dongwoo were doing dishes. “Sunggyu,” he said carefully, “Doojoon’s requested a meeting. Well, not so much requested as told me that we’re having one tonight over the communicator.”

Sunggyu’s eyes widened. “What does he want?”

Woohyun shrugged. “There’s no way to know for now, but he asked for you specifically.”

“Oh.” Sunggyu bit his lip nervously.

“Hey,” Woohyun grabbed his shoulders and spoke in a soothing tone. “I’ll be there too. You won’t have to talk to him alone.”

“I’ll be there too,” Hoya added.

“I have some work to get done,” Dongwoo said as he finished rinsing off the last dish, “but you’ll be fine with Hoya and Woohyun.”

Sunggyu nodded. “Are we meeting him at headquarters?”

“No, just over the communicator.” Sunggyu felt a bit of the tension leave his body. Woohyun smiled and said, “You ready?”

“Now?” Sunggyu asked, scowling. “You could have told me earlier.”

“You would’ve worried yourself to death over it all day,” Hoya laughed.

Sunggyu crossed his arms and huffed. “That is  _ not _ true.”

Woohyun shrugged and grabbed his hand to lead him to the garage, Hoya following closely behind. Woohyun propped up the one-way communicator and waited for Doojoon to call them. The communicator used to be a phone, from what he could tell. It was thin, black, and handheld, but its operating system had been modified so that its communication channels only opened up when another device contacted it. The Alliance could call them, but they couldn’t call anyone else.

At last, a notification popped up. Woohyun answered the call and a barely noticeable lens in the front of the communicator projected a screen where they could see Doojoon’s head and shoulders.

“We’ve decided to move forward in our investigations,” Doojoon said immediately.

Woohyun scoffed. “No ‘hello, how are you?’”

“I think we’re past the need for pleasantries,” Doojoon replied bluntly.

Woohyun snorted again, but shut up when Hoya punched his arm. Sunggyu furrowed his brow. “So what  _ is _ the next step?”

“We’ve decided to infiltrate the factory you were born in, Sunggyu,” Doojoon said, “and we need your help.”

Sunggyu’s brows shot up. Hoya was first to respond. “Sunggyu’s help? Why do you need his help?”

“We did some research on the facility Sunggyu came from. There are a couple main floors, and most of the androids we rescue know of those. Sunggyu came from a different floor.” Sunggyu tensed at the mention of his name. “As far as we can tell, he came from one of the basement floors, a sort of Research and Development facility.” Doojoon looked directly at Sunggyu. “We need you to guide us there.”

Sunggyu frowned, then nodded. “I think I could do that, but the security clearance--”

“We’re taking care of it,” Doojoon interjected. “We need to gather floor plans, clearance badges, and we need to get a good idea of their security system. This could take months.”

“Why are you telling us now?” Woohyun asked.

“Sunggyu needs to prepare,” Doojoon said coldly. “This isn’t like the petty shit we throw your way. This is dangerous.”

“Then why are you asking Sunggyu to go!?” Woohyun growled. “This isn’t his responsibility!”

“It’s his duty to his fellow android.” Doojoon’s voice went dangerously low. “This isn’t about one person or one android. We’ve been trying to infiltrate the Factory for  _ years _ , and we’ve finally found someone who can guide us. We aren’t asking.”

Hoya felt his hands curl into fists. “You can’t make him. This is his choice.”

The room went silent for a moment. Then Doojoon said, “Then decide, Sunggyu. Help us advance our cause in a monumental leap forward for android-kind, or let your brothers and sisters continue to be slaves.”

Hoya and Woohyun stiffened next to him. Woohyun turned to him and said, “You don’t have to do this. It’s dangerous.” He paused. “We need you here.”

Hoya said nothing, but gripped Sunggyu’s upper arm in a silent plea to stay. Sunggyu’s heart hurt to see the desperation on their faces, but he knew that he had to go back to that place if he ever wanted to know what he was. Sunggyu nodded to Doojoon. “I’ll do it.”

He felt Hoya and Woohyun freeze beside him. They hadn’t expected him to say yes, apparently. Doojoon gave a small, smug smile, clearly satisfied with his answer. “We will dispatch cadets to your location who will help prepare you for the ordeal promptly--”

“I’m going too!” Woohyun shouted.

Hoya nodded and said, “Me too. We’re not letting Sunggyu go in there alone.”

“Very well.” Doojoon stared at them through narrowed eyes. “You will be put through the same regiment Sunggyu will, but if you aren’t ready in time you will be banned from going.”

Woohyun opened his mouth to argue, but Hoya spoke first. “Deal. We’ll do it.”

“Very well. We’ll speak again soon.” Doojoon nodded, and the projection flickered, then disappeared completely as he ended the call.

The room was quiet as they each took in what they had just agreed to. Woohyun said quietly, “Why did you agree?”

Sunggyu winced at his hurt tone. “I just want to know what I am,” he mumbled. He could tell Woohyun was still upset with him, but he said nothing and left Sunggyu and Hoya alone.

“He’ll get over it,” Hoya said. “He just wishes you’d put yourself first.”

“I am,” Sunggyu said.

“I know.” Hoya smiled at him and offered his hand. “The Alliance officers will probably arrive tomorrow. Anything you want to do on your last day of freedom?”

Sunggyu gave a hesitant smile. “Can we just laze around the house all evening? Woohyun too.”

“You should go ask him” Hoya replied, amused. Sunggyu nodded and went back into the main part of the house to find him.

Woohyun was sitting on the couch in the living room, but Sunggyu could tell he wasn’t actually watching any TV. Myungsoo, Sungyeol, and Dongwoo were out, and Sungjong was upstairs doing… something. Sunggyu wasn’t actually sure what he did with his time. He frowned as he saw the sad expression on Woohyun’s face.

Sunggyu had learned things about humans, counterintuitive things, but most importantly he had learned that all humans were different. Some were clever, like Sungyeol, and some were a bit slow (though Sunggyu would never tell Hoya or Woohyun that to their faces). Myungsoo liked touch, but Sungjong was more private. Hoya was the type to silently work out his problems, while Woohyun liked to talk them out, but this time things seemed different. For some reason, Sunggyu thought this time Woohyun might prefer that he just… be there for him instead.

So instead of saying anything, Sunggyu sat down quietly onto the couch next to him and rested his head on Woohyun’s shoulder. Woohyun didn’t reply, but he did adjust his arm so that Sunggyu could get into a more comfortable position, so Sunggyu figured Woohyun probably wasn’t mad at  _ him _ .

Hoya joined them a few minutes later, taking the other end and letting Sunggyu’s feet rest in his lap. The three of them spent the rest of the night watching old movies, and when one of them  _ did _ talk, it was unimportant chatter-- _ pass the popcorn, please _ and  _ this is my favorite part _ . It was an altogether boring night, but Sunggyu thought that that might not be so bad when not one of them was sure how many boring days they had left.

The Alliance members Doojoon had sent to train them arrived early the next morning.  There were two women, and they were androids, from what Sunggyu could tell--older models that lacked some of emotional fine tuning the newest androids possessed. They had fewer facial joints, so their expressions always looked a bit too forced or a bit too monotone, no matter what they were feeling.

Sunggyu led them out to the garage where the younger boys’ repair projects had been moved to the corner and mats had been laid down in the center of the room. The woman with chin-length hair tucked neatly behind her ear spoke first.

“My name is Jieun,” she said, gesturing to herself. “My partner’s name is Eunha. We are here to teach you basic self-defense.”

Sunggyu furrowed his brows. “Why would I need to know self-defense?”

“We aren’t sure yet what kind of security we might face at The Factory,” Eunha said, “but there are likely drones and security guards patrolling the lower floors. We should be prepared for anything.”

Sunggyu nodded and let them lead him through basic training exercises. They weren’t as tedious as he thought they’d be, and he quickly realized why Doojoon had sent androids instead of human trainers. Humans had to go through weeks of basic stamina training to be able to keep up with the practice, but Sunggyu wasn’t like that. While he still needed to repeat motions to store them properly in his neural networks, his retention time was still much quicker than that of a human’s.

Hoya joined them after a while and Sunggyu got to take a break. While he didn’t sweat like humans did, his inner components could heat up rather quick after an intense practice session, and his quickened breaths alone were not enough to compensate. He leaned back on his palms as a portable fan blew directly on him and appreciated the fact that it was the middle of winter rather than summer.

Hoya was a natural fighter, self-taught from over a decade of living on the streets and in rougher areas of the city. He was almost an even match for the trainers, but it soon became apparent that was only because they were holding back.

“You have potential, Hoya-ssi,” Jieun said, chest heaving, “but you lack finesse. It’s clear you’ve never been taught how to fight properly.”

Sunggyu could tell by the way he looked at her that he wanted to spit back a biting retort, but all he managed to gasp out was a brief “Thanks.”

“Shall we end here for today?” Eunha asked, looking at Sunggyu.

“I think that’s for the best,” Sunggyu said, smiling as he watched Hoya try and catch his breath. “Thank you for your help today.”

Jieun and Eunha bowed at him in synch. “We’ll be back the same time tomorrow.”

Sunggyu sighed as he watched them leave. Hoya collapsed on the floor next to them, and he watched in amusement as he tried to catch his breath.

“Tough day?” Sunggyu asked cheekily.

“They’re like robots,” Hoya grimaced. Sunggyu laughed loudly at that, and Hoya smiled. “How’s your charge?”

Sunggyu winced. “If I train this hard every day I’ll have to recharge every night.”

Hoya nodded and they sat there in companionable silence for a while, just listening to the muffled voices coming from inside the house. They even heard when Woohyun came home, because Sungyeol was immediately bombarding him with a thousand questions about  _ what’s for dinner _ and  _ if you forgot to go grocery shopping again I swear to God I’ll-- _ Sunggyu wrinkled his nose at the last part.

“You better go greet him,” Hoya said quietly from where he was laying, splayed out on the garage floor.

Sunggyu tilted his head and looked down at him. “Why do I have to do that?”

“It’s what family does,” Hoya said. He was quiet for a moment, then added, “And it’s always been a bit of a dream of his.”

Sunggyu laughed humorlessly. “To have his Sunggyu be there to greet him when he gets home?” Hoya nodded, but said nothing. Sunggyu frowned. “You guys talk about him like he was some saint, but then you make it sound like he was barely around. It sounds kind of lonely.”

“He wasn’t a saint,” Hoya replied, closing his eyes, “but he rescued all of us in one way or another, and he nearly killed himself doing it.” Sunggyu watched his face contort into something much sadder. “I guess it did kill him, in the end.”

Sunggyu swallowed thickly. “And it’s okay? That I look exactly like him, I mean.”

Hoya laughed and pushed himself up. He turned to Sunggyu. “You don’t look like him, not exactly.” Hoya reached out and swiped a thumb over Sunggyu’s cheek. “He had two moles here, but you could barely see them unless you were up close.”

Sunggyu felt a thrill of electricity run through his circuits. He parted his lips, waiting for Hoya to speak again or lean in or  _ something _ , but he didn’t. Hoya simply pulled his hand away and went back to laying down. “Like I said, you should go greet him.”

Sunggyu watched him for a moment, then nodded. He went back inside the noisy living area. Myungsoo and Sungyeol were playing video games. Dongwoo and Sungjong were unpacking groceries, and Woohyun was standing there, as if he were waiting for Sunggyu to come see him all that time.

“Welcome home,” Sunggyu said. Woohyun smiled, and Sunggyu resisted the urge to yelp as Woohyun pulled him in close.

“Thanks,” Woohyun murmured. He leaned in to press his lips softly against Sunggyu’s, just for a brief moment. It was a part of their shared desire to “take things slow.” It meant just kisses for now, and if waking up wrapped in each other’s arms was off limits, neither of them said anything when it continued to occur every morning.

Sunggyu broke the kiss and looked around, but no one had seen them. It wasn’t like they had anything to hide, but Sungyeol’s scandalous expression when he’d caught them in the hallway upstairs had taught him that it wasn’t something he should do in front of other people. Woohyun didn’t seem to mind, though.

“Where’s Hoya?” Woohyun asked, tilting his head. Sunggyu snapped back to reality.

“He’s out in the garage,” he replied. “He’s totally wiped out from practice, but he said I should go ahead inside.”

Woohyun nodded in understanding. “How did things go?”

“It was more difficult than I anticipated,” Sunggyu admitted. “I’m not sure how far they plan to take this. I can defend myself, but if we’re facing drones built for subduing intruders I’m not sure how long any of us will last.

Woohyun rested his hands on Sunggyu’s shoulders to soothe him. “Hoya and I will be there too. You don’t have to worry.”

Sunggyu smiled. “You two seem more scared than I am.”

The edges of Woohyun’s lips quirked up. “Well, that may be true.” He glanced at the door that led to the garage. “I have something I need to discuss with Hoya. See you later?”

“I can’t even leave the house,” Sunggyu pointed out bluntly. Woohyun snorted and pressed another brief kiss against his lips, then headed for the door.

Hoya was sitting cross-legged and hunched over as if he were thinking very hard about something. Woohyun called out softly, “Hoya? What are you doing?”

Hoya looked up at him, but his face remained expressionless. “Nothing. I was about to go inside. What’s up?”

“How was practice?” Woohyun asked quietly.

Hoya grimaced. “I lasted long enough that I didn’t embarrass myself, but I think they were holding back.”

Woohyun sighed and extended his hand to help him up. “We’re no match for machines, huh? Just what have we gotten ourselves into?”

“Too late to back out now,” Hoya grunted as he pulled himself up. “Not that I want to.”

“Me neither.”

It was quiet for a tense moment. Hoya shifted uneasily on his feet. “I think I should help Dongwoo with--”

“Are we not going to talk about it?”

Hoya froze. He swallowed thickly and said, “Talk about what?”

“You know what,” Woohyun said quietly. “The fact that you kissed me and said that you were in love with me.”

Hoya averted his eyes and shrugged in a forced manner. “There’s nothing to discuss. We found Sunggyu, so I’m stepping out of the way. I’m happy for you two, really.”

“Shut up.” Woohyun curled his hands into fists. “You’re just walking away like some hero? Don’t give me that.”

Hoya scoffed. “What, do you want me and Sunggyu to fight over you? Please.” He turned to walk to the door. “I was a physical stress reliever for Sunggyu before, and now I’m just a third wheel. I’d like to keep some of my dignity intact.”

“You can’t do that!” Woohyun said angrily. “You can’t just--just  _ kiss _ me and tell me you’re in love with me like that doesn’t change everything!”

“What does it change?” Hoya growled. “Do you love me now? Is Sunggyu willing to share? I’m acting like this because you said you wanted to stay friendly.”

“I--”

Hoya sighed. “Just let it go, Woohyun. I already have.”

As Hoya turned to walk away, Woohyun reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. Before he had time to pull away, Woohyun pressed his lips roughly against Hoya’s. Hoya growled and shoved him away, his chest heaving in anger.

“You have Sunggyu,” he cried. “Isn’t that enough for you?” When Woohyun didn’t reply, he spat, “You’re a selfish prick. I’m moving back into my old room.”

Woohyun reached out a hand. “Hoya, please--”

But this time, Hoya knew to pull his arm away so that Woohyun couldn’t hold on to him. He went back inside the main part of the house, leaving Woohyun alone in the cold, empty garage.

Meanwhile, Sungjong had gone upstairs to investigate the source of several loud  _ thunk _ s over the last several minutes. The door to Sunggyu’s room was cracked open, and he could hear shuffling coming from inside.

“Hyung?” he asked carefully, poking his head inside the room.

“Sungjonggie!” Sunggyu said happily. “Look what I found in the closet!”

Sungjong walked more fully into the room and saw several large, cardboard boxes, their contents spilled out onto the floor. They were clothes, ones Sungjong would recognize in an instant. “Hyung, these are yours.”

“They are?” Sunggyu asked, tilting his head. “Why are they in boxes?”

Sungjong furrowed his brow and began sifting through them. “That’s the question, isn’t it?” He grimaced as he pulled a particularly infamous jacket from the pile. “Oh, God, I thought he burned this.”

“That’s my favorite!” Sunggyu chirped, pulling it from Sungjong’s hands so he could run his fingers over the cheap material. “It looks like french fries!”

Sungjong wrinkled his nose in disgust but couldn’t bring himself to ruin Sunggyu’s happiness. He began sifting through more of the old clothes. “Hyung, these are  _ all _ your old clothes.” He picked up a leopard print hoodie. “We teased you so bad about them you snapped and said you’d throw them all away.”

“You think these are ugly!?” Sunggyu exclaimed. He held up a black shirt with a large, tacky graphic print of a tiger’s head on it.

“Um, well…” Sungjong panicked and glanced around. “This wasn’t that bad.”

He held up a maroon sweater that he remembered suited Sunggyu well. Sunggyu frowned. “That one’s boring though.”

Sungjong sighed and set it back down as Sunggyu continued to dig through the boxes. When Sunggyu was done inspecting the item of clothing, it was thrown into one of two piles, and frankly Sungjong was scared to ask which was “keep.”

“Animal print,” Sungjong muttered, “Why is there so much animal print?”

As Sungjong began to fold some of the clothes and put them away again, Sunggyu wandered to an old set of drawers and began to dig through them. “Sungjonggie,” he said after a moment, “What’s this?”

Sunggyu pulled a small jewelry box from the top shelf and held it out for Sungjong to examine. Sungjong popped it open and saw a pair of needles, bent and twisted by pliers into a facsimile of earrings.

He smiled softly down at them. “These are from my tenth birthday,” he said. “Hoya-hyung pierced my ears and it hurt so much that I wouldn’t stop crying unless you did it too.”

“Oh,” Sunggyu said quietly. He lifted his hand up and felt the smooth surface of his earlobe.

Sungjong looked up as he thought of a great idea. He motioned for Sunggyu to stay put. “I’ll be right back!”

Sunggyu tilted his head and nodded as Sungjong raced back to his room. He came back moments later with an old earring box. Sunggyu took it into his hands and opened it.

“Do you recognize those?” Sungjong asked excitedly.

Sunggyu stared hard at them for a moment. “They’re… earrings?”

“You got them for me for my tenth birthday, hyung.” Sungjong plucked them from the case and held them up to his ears. “Aren’t they pretty?”

Sunggyu’s lips quirked up in a forced smile.“They’re, um, great! The one’s you’re wearing right now are prettier though.” He handed the box back to Sungjong and went back to trying on everything from the box of discarded hats.

Sungjong’s smile faltered as disappointment squeezed at his heart. “You don’t remember anything?”

“No.” Sunggyu’s hands stilled and he looked up at Sungjong apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he replied. Sungjong sighed and put the earrings back in their box.

He’d thought for sure that Sunggyu would recognize something he’d made with his own two hands. Those earrings were their most precious memory together, after all. They weren’t the prettiest earrings in the world, and Sungjong now knew that the pearls were clearly fake, and the “silver” was more likely steel or tin. It didn’t matter to him, though, not when Sunggyu had clearly worked so hard to make them.

“Sungjonggie,” Sunggyu said hesitantly, pulling him from his reverie. “What’s wrong? You look sad.”

Sungjong blinked away the wetness that had formed in his eyes. He smiled at Sunggyu--or what was left of him. “It’s nothing. That sweater looks hideous.”

Sunggyu gaped at him and hugged the sweater to his chest defensively. Sungjong laughed and said, “Hyung, do you want to see my jewelry collection?”

Sunggyu put the sweater away and said, “You have a jewelry collection?”

Sungjong nodded and led him to the room he shared with Sungyeol and Woohyun, formerly. He motioned for Sunggyu to sit down next to him at his little work station. It was a makeshift desk, really, littered with tools and instruments to bend and shape small bits of metal to his will. He opened the jewelry box and showed its contents to Sunggyu.

“Wow,” Sunggyu gasped. He plucked a pair of silver earrings, crosses dangling from a delicate silver chain. “These are beautiful.”

“I made them,” Sungjong said. “All of them.”

Sunggyu’s eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s amazing!”

“You can have a pair if you want,” he said seriously. Sunggyu froze, his hand hesitating in the air, before putting the earrings back in the box.

“Sungjong-ah,” he said quietly. “I can’t wear these.”

Sungjong furrowed his brows. “Of course you can. I don’t mind.”

“No, I mean--” Sunggyu fingered his right earlobe. “My ears aren’t pierced. I can’t wear them.”

Sungjong stiffened. He reached out and touched Sunggyu’s ear and found that it was true. He felt a part of him cry out in agony. It hadn’t really hit him, before, that this was not the Sunggyu-hyung he knew. Sure, their personalities were a bit different--this Sunggyu was softer, kinder, not as roughened by all the bad things in the world. They were different, but he looked like a mirror image. A perfect replica.

He smiled sadly at “Sunggyu.” If this was not  _ his _ Sunggyu, it was someone Sunggyu would tell him to protect. “Would you like me to pierce them for you?”

Sunggyu considered it for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I think that would be fine.”

Sungjong fished a needle out from his box of supplies. He nodded towards the jewelry box. “Pick a pair.”

“Any pair?” Sunggyu asked, eyes wide.

Sungjong shrugged. “Sure, but make sure you like them. You can’t take them out for the next few months.”

Sunggyu nodded and looked carefully through all the pairs. Finally, he plucked a pair of thicker hooped earrings. They were small in circumference, but elegantly engraved.

“Excellent choice,” Sungjong said. “Now hold still.”

Sunggyu flinched as Sungjong slid the needle through and fastened the clasps on the earrings one after the other. Sungjong noticed that there was no blood. It made sense, he supposed, that a robot have no blood, but it was still disconcerting.

“All done,” he said. He held up a hand mirror for Sunggyu to see the results.

Sunggyu carefully brushed a finger over the earrings, turning his head this way and that to admire them. “Thank you,” he said, awed. “They’re beautiful.”

“They look good on you,” Sungjong said happily. “I have to ask though, did it really hurt?”

“Er, kind of?” Sunggyu hummed thoughtfully. “Pain for an android… I suppose it’s not that different from human pain. My body tells me if something’s not right, such as cuts to my derma or my joints being twisted in the wrong way. After a certain threshold I’m supposed to seek medical attention.”

“I wonder if it feels the same though,” Sungjong said to himself.

Sunggyu shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “I suppose we can’t know that, but I do know it’s unpleasant and can be debilitating at times. It can’t be that different.”

Sungjong sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” He put the jewelry box away and stood, gesturing towards the door. “Shall we rejoin the others?”

Sunggyu nodded and the two went back down the stairs. They noted the tense atmosphere in the living room that seemed to be emanating from Woohyun and Hoya. Sunggyu noticed that they both seemed angry, but rather than fighting they were deadly silent. Woohyun was staring daggers at Hoya’s back, while Hoya seemed rather too focused on talking to Dongwoo in an attempt to ignore him.

He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

They continued to ignore each other for the rest of the evening despite Sunggyu’s lame attempts at engaging them in conversation. They sat at opposite ends of the table at dinner, so Sunggyu awkwardly sat in the middle, next to Dongwoo, despite the fact that robot’s don’t eat. Usually, he’d take that time to talk with the others about what they did that day or what they planned to do tomorrow, but this time everyone chewed their food in silence. Sunggyu sat there with his hands folded in his lap, wondering how much longer those two would deign to torture the rest of them with their childishness.

Sunggyu thought it might resolve itself by bedtime, but that proved not to be the case. He and Woohyun walked towards the room they all shared, but Sunggyu noticed that Hoya wasn’t following them. He turned just in time to see him walking into his previous room. Sunggyu reached out for him, but Woohyun grabbed his arm to keep him in place.

“Don’t,” Woohyun warned.

Sunggyu shook off his hand. “Hoya!” He breathed a sigh of relief when Hoya stopped in the doorway. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you two your privacy,” he said expressionlessly.

Sunggyu frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m tired of laying there while you and Woohyun spoon and cuddle,” he said bluntly. “You two are together now, and I get that. Have fun.”

Sunggyu reached out to grab his arm, but Hoya slammed the door in his face. His fingers closed on empty air.

“Come on,” Woohyun said quietly, tugging him back towards their room. Sunggyu stared at Hoya’s door uncertainly. “He’s not coming,” Woohyun repeated, louder this time.

Sunggyu allowed himself to be pulled into their room. Woohyun shut the door behind them and got into bed, silent. Sunggyu plugged himself in and laid down next to him. He expected Woohyun to try and talk about it after a while, but he never did, which was weird for Woohyun. He always had something to say. Woohyun didn’t appear to want to sleep either, so they both lay there. Woohyun staring unhappily at the ceiling and Sunggyu hoping that he would speak.

Eventually, Sunggyu hesitantly reached out his hand and used it to grab Woohyun’s. Woohyun gave it a reassuring squeeze, and Sunggyu relaxed a bit. Woohyun turned on his side to look at Sunggyu.

“I don’t need him,” Woohyun said slowly, as if trying to convince himself. “ _ We _ don’t need him.”

Sunggyu didn’t say anything, just squeezed his hand to let him know he was listening. Woohyun closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing anymore. How did you keep the peace?”

“I don’t remember,” Sunggyu replied.

Woohyun cracked an eye open and glanced at him. “I know.”

Sunggyu was quiet for a moment. He asked hesitantly, “Were things really that peaceful?” Woohyun looked at him in surprise. “I mean,” he continued, “maybe they weren’t as peaceful as you remember, and you only perceive them that way.”

Woohyun hummed thoughtfully. “I guess that could be true too.”

“You can only move forward,” he added.

Woohyun smiled ruefully at him and pulled his hand from Sunggyu’s grasp, moving it ruffle the strands of his hair. Sunggyu swatted his hand away and glared at him. Woohyun laughed, “Stop trying to sound cool.”

“Whatever,” Sunggyu muttered. Woohyun hummed happily and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him to his chest.

“Goodnight, Gyu.”

Sunggyu smiled where Woohyun couldn’t see, happy that he had pulled Woohyun out of whatever mood he was in, if only for a moment.

“Goodnight, Woohyun.”


	9. Muscle Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this fic is almost done!!! just one more chapter left as a bit of a calm before the storm ; o ; /

_ Sungyeol’s expression lights up when he hears a loud thud from the entrance of the house. Sunggyu’s voice thundered through the drafty house. “Sungyeol! Get down here!” _

_ He flinched at the angry command. Sungyeol inched carefully down the stairs, keeping his eyes carefully trained on the floor. _

_ “Why the hell did you tie a string across the doorway? I fucking tripped, you know.” Sunggyu’s voice was deathly quiet, causing Sungyeol to tremble in his sneakers. _

_ “T-that was kind of the point, hyung,” he replied shakily. Honestly, Sungyeol must have a death wish, because the next thing he knew he was being dragged the rest of the way down the stairs by his collar. He pounded against Sunggyu’s body with his fists, but Sunggyu had the advantage of age and puberty that gave him the strength to drag Sungyeol back out the front door and around the back of the building. Sunggyu practically threw him to the concrete ground. _

_ “What the hell was that for!?” Sungyeol shouted. _

_ “You’re going to thank me that the others aren’t here to see this,” Sunggyu said darkly. “Now tell me what the fuck made you think it was okay to do that.” _

_ “It wasn’t even meant for you!” Sungyeol pouted. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to make a big deal out of it.” _

_ “It is a big deal, Yeollie!” Sunggyu groaned in frustration and began to pace. “What if someone had gotten seriously hurt? You think we can afford the hospital bills?” _

_ This was the part where Sungyeol usually tuned out whatever Sunggyu was saying to him. He didn’t dislike Sunggyu, really, but he was a better big brother than he was a father, and that was something he never seemed to understand. He did his best to look contrite, wincing in appropriate places and interjecting apologies wherever he could. _

_ “Are you even listening to me?” Sunggyu asked angrily. _

_ Sungyeol’s eyes went wide. He looked up at him in shock. “Of course I am, hyung.” _

_ “What did I  _ just _ say?” _

_ “Umm…” Sungyeol began to panic as the expression on Sunggyu’s face morphed from one of simple anger to sheer, bloody murder. “You were telling me that I’m an idiot and I should be grateful someone as benevolent as yourself picked my sorry ass up off the street?” _

_ Sunggyu groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. “What the hell is  _ wrong _ with you, Yeol? Won’t you ever fucking learn?” _

_ Sungyeol curled his hands into fists. “What’s ‘wrong’ with me? What’s wrong with  _ you _? It was an accident!” _

_ “That could have hurt somebody!” Sunggyu shouted back. _

_ “But it didn’t!” Sungyeol crossed his arms to prevent himself from punching the wall. (He’d done so before and only ended up with a broken finger to show for it). “It’s not my fault you’re all stuck up because you think you’re an adult. You’re not! You’re barely older than Woohyun-hyung!” _

_ “I’m still the oldest, so you need to listen to me.” _

_ “Ugh, there you go again!” Sungyeol threw his hands up in frustration. “What happened to you? You used to be like a real brother! You used to be fun! Now all you do is work and nag at me and no one else!” _

_ “No one else is pulling childish pranks,” Sunggyu spat. “No one else is being a constant pain in my ass like you.” _

_ “Well I’m bored!” Sungyeol began to pace the alleyway back and forth as he let the rest of his frustrations spill from his mouth. “You’re never here anymore and there’s nothing to do! We can’t go to school like other kids because they’ll make us go back to our parents, fine, but Dongwoo-hyung is a terrible teacher! And there’s nothing to read, nothing to play, and I’m so  _ bored _ , hyung!” _

_ “I’m working this hard so you’ll have something to read or new video games to play,” Sunggyu said desperately, “but you don’t make things any easier for me. Please, Yeollie, just… try and hold back. Tone it down. I don’t know, just… help me out here. Please?” _

_ Sungyeol clenched his fist. Try to be less of himself… right. He swallowed his bitter disappointment in Sunggyu’s response and held his hand out to shake. _

_ “Fine,” Sungyeol said quietly. Sunggyu took his hand and shook it, and after another moment, Sungyeol added, “I really didn’t mean for you to trip. I thought Woohyun-hyung was the one coming through the door next.” _

_ Sunggyu’s lips twitched into a smile. “You’re right. That would’ve been a bit funny.” _

_ “Right?” Sungyeol said hopefully. _

_ “As long as he didn’t get seriously hurt.” _

_ “Right.” _

_ Sunggyu gave Sungyeol a measured look, then sighed. “I’m sorry I’m like this, Sungyeollie. I’ll try and be better.” _

_ “It’s okay, hyung,” Sungyeol said, scuffing his shoe on the pavement. Sunggyu smiled wryly at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. It wasn’t easy, when Sungyeol was almost taller than he was. He wondered when that had happened. _

_ They walked back inside together, but both forgot about the string that was still tied across the doorway, so both went sprawling as they stepped inside the entryway. _

***

Sunggyu collapsed onto the mat after successfully breaking free from another one of Jieun’s holds. They had finally moved into the combat portion of their training, and it seemed as though the two female androids took their pleasure in finding new ways to torture him.

“Five minutes,” he panted. Sunggyu crawled over to the fan and laid down in front of it, cursing again his inability to sweat. Jieun sat down cross-legged next to him as Eunha began her warm-ups. 

“Please tell me this will all be over soon,” Sunggyu pleaded.

Jieun gave him a pitying, mechanical smile. “I’m afraid not, Sunggyu-ssi. However you are proving much more adept at this than we had first assumed. You say you were not given prior training… are you sure your user never installed software on basic fighting techniques?”

“No.” Sunggyu shook his head emphatically. “They would never. We were supposed to be obedient and unable to fight back. Besides, all we did were household chores and other… domestic duties. What use did we have of fighting techniques?”

Jieun hummed quietly. “It’s just… odd. You seem to be reacting much quicker, even, than if you were making the calculations yourself. Like an instinct, almost.”

“We have those?”

“I don’t.” She tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully. “But I’m not so sure about newer models. They’re developing them faster than we can understand the technology, though we’re not sure how.”

Sunggyu furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? We’re not all the same apart from minor upgrades?”

Jieun shook her head. “No, Sunggyu, we’re not the same. Eunha and I? Yes, we’re different models, our external appearances tweaked slightly, but internally we’re the same. The newer androids like you… you’re different. With each new build we androids become more and more like humans.”

“The human Sunggyu… maybe that’s why they needed him.” Sunggyu turned and looked away.

“I don’t know,” she admitted reluctantly, “it could be.”

“Then, maybe my ‘instincts’ are just memories?”

Jieun frowned. “Sunggyu--”

“I mean, the human Sunggyu was supposed to be a good fighter, and street smart,” Sunggyu explained quickly, the spark of hope in his voice not entirely smothered by his forced pessimism. “I’m neither of those things, but I can still dodge some of your attacks like a real fighter! Maybe my memories as Sunggyu the human are coming back? The same thing happened when I ran away from Senator Lee! He touched me, and I panicked as if I’d been in that situation before.”

Jieun was quiet for a moment. “Sunggyu, I acknowledge you are a special case, but I don’t think what you are experiencing is that kind of memory.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” She sighed, scratching the back of her neck. “Human brains are just… electrical impulses, you know? They’re one hundred billion neurons firing electrical signals at each other and those come together to form the human experience. The principle behind artificial intelligence is that there’s really no difference between how human brains and computers work.”

Sunggyu nodded slowly, unsure of where she was headed with this line of thought. “So, newer models like you, their internal data structures are becoming denser, with more and more connections. More and more like human brains. With the way they’re structured… it’s more like muscle memory.”

“Muscle memory?”

“Memory of how to perform certain routine tasks. It’s created and stored in a completely different area of the brain from real memories. It’s how humans with Alzheimer’s disease remember how to play the piano, but not who their children are.” She rested a hand gently on Sunggyu’s shoulders. “Even if what you’re now experiencing truly did come, somehow, from the human Sunggyu… we don’t know why or how, and it’s unlikely connected to any true memories.”

They sat there in silence for a moment. Even Eunha had stopped her warm ups and begun to listen. Sunggyu swallowed thickly. “Oh… so I’m not remembering anything?”

“It’s not likely,” she said quietly. “Even if you remember how to dodge a punch, that doesn’t make you him. It doesn’t make you human.”

“I’m not human,” Sunggyu repeated in a monotone voice.

Jieun and Eunha shook their heads.

Right, Sunggyu thought. He wasn’t human. He shouldn’t forget that, not ever, no matter how human the other boys made him feel. And that was… okay, right? Jieun and Eunha weren’t human, but they seemed happy enough, from what little Sunggyu could tell based on their expressions. He shouldn’t dwell on it.

Sunggyu sighed. He pushed himself off the floor to stand again. “Shouldn’t we keep practicing?”

Jieun and Eunha gave him an uneasy glance, but nodded and continued the session. They didn’t talk about it again.

***

Sungyeol had realized for a while now that Sunggyu was different. And not just in the his-entire-body-had-been-replaced-with-wires-and-circuit-boards way. More like in the  _ Invasion of the Body Snatchers _ kind of way.

He’d been suspicious from the beginning, and quickly set out to test his hypothesis.

Experiment number 1: hiding Sunggyu’s shoes. He remembered how Sunggyu used to bang and shout and rile up the whole house until Sungyeol snuck them into one of the first places Sunggyu had checked, only to snicker as he apologized sheepishly to the rest of the household.

Sunggyu had caught on after a while, and the trick hadn’t worked for several years now. Sunggyu said his memories were gone, but this seemed like the kind of thing that would last in the deepest part of oneself.

It was not.

In fact, contrary to his expectations, Sunggyu didn’t get mad at all. He furrowed his brow a bit, and walked over to where Sungyeol was sitting on the couch watching the events unfold.

“Have you seen my shoes?” he asked.

Sungyeol shook his head slowly, gauging Sunggyu’s reaction. “Nope, haven’t seen them. What did they look like?”

Sunggyu described his shoes in perfect detail, and Sungyeol reasoned that it must be because robots probably had something akin to photographic memory. It was essentially recorded video evidence, stored on a harddrive for future access. So Sunggyu must have known that he had placed his shoes in that exact location and that someone must have moved them.

He still did not suspect Sungyeol.

Experiment number 2: With the failure (or success, perhaps) of experiment number one, Sungyeol began to take his thesis further. The first time, he reasoned, really could be explained away by a failure of memory. He needed to test more core aspects of Sunggyu’s personality. They were joking around one day, and Sungyeol asked Sunggyu to call him “hyung.”

“Why would I call you that?” Sunggyu asked, brow furrowed.

“Well, since your memories only extend back like three months, wouldn’t that make you three months old?” Sungyeol smiled cheekily. “You’re practically a baby!”

“Shut up,” Sunggyu muttered. Then, to Sungyeol’s surprise, he said, “Fine. Do I just have to call you hyung, or should I say something else too?”

“Tell me I’m handsome,” Sungyeol said gleefully, “and don’t forget to speak formally. I  _ am _ older after all.”

Sunggyu pouted for a moment. “Fine. Sungyeol-hyung, you look very handsome today.”

“Cute!” Sungyeol wrapped his arms around Sunggyu and squeezed, causing Sunggyu to groan in annoyance. He caught Woohyun’s eye across the room and smiled. “That was very cute, Sunggyu-yah.”

Sunggyu groaned. “I’m  _ never _ doing that again.”

“Aw, was it really that bad?” Sungyeol pouted. His eyes lit up with interest as Sunggyu considered his question. As surprised as he was that Sunggyu called him “hyung” in the first place, saying that he’d never do it again was such a Sunggyu-hyung response.

“It’s weird,” Sunggyu admitted. “I don’t really feel like I’m older, but your condescension is irritating.”

Sungyeol laughed loudly at that. “Fine! Then how about we speak to each other like we’re the same age?”

Sunggyu thought about it for a moment then nodded. “That would be fine.”

Sungyeol continued to play and joke around with Sunggyu the rest of the day, and didn’t let himself frown until he was in bed that night. He hadn’t expected this outcome--one of equals. If this were Sunggyu-hyung, one or the other might have been explained away. Either he would have demanded respect because he was older, or, acknowledging his lack of memories, would have let himself be treated like he was younger. Sungyeol slipped into a troubled sleep as he pondered what this really meant.

Experiment number 3: It goes against scientific principles to hope for an outcome, one way or another. It produces confirmation bias, the risk that one will see what they want to see and misinterpret the evidence. Scientists are supposed to be impartial, but Sungyeol couldn’t be. Not with what was at stake.

So Sungyeol began compiling a list. Reasons why Sunggyu isn’t Sunggyu-hyung: he was nice, he actually played around with him, he didn’t get mad if he got pranked, he  _ kissed _ Woohyun-hyung. Yeah, that was weird. Reasons why Sunggyu is Sunggyu-hyung: there was something achingly familiar in the way he smiled, the way he spoke softly; he got embarrassed easily, and he was somewhat shy. But not as shy as Sunggyu-hyung had been.

Perhaps shy was the wrong word, it was more like… Sunggyu-hyung had had these  _ walls _ built up around himself, and it took a monumental effort from both parties to let some of that tender affection through. With this new Sunggyu it was like they’d never existed at all.

This fresh vulnerability of his was something unthinkable from Sunggyu-hyung, so Sungyeol decided that this would be his last experiment.

He began with affection.

It was early evening, after Jieun and Eunha had already left for the day. Sunggyu was laying on the floor, lazily watching Sungyeol fiddle with Navi as he tested out various modifications. Suddenly, Sungyeol set the small robot down and turned to Sunggyu.

“Gyu,” he whined, wrapping arms around Sunggyu’s shoulders and leaning heavily on him.

Sunggyu smiled and leaned his head back. “What is it?”

“I’m bored~. Play with me!”

Sunggyu hummed thoughtfully. “Okay, do you want to play video games?”

“Yes!” Sungyeol hopped up and pulled Sunggyu up with him. They collapsed onto the couch. Sungyeol purposefully sat with his side flush against Sunggyu’s to see how he’d react, but Sunggyu didn’t pull away. Instead, after fifteen minutes of playing some fighting game, he rested his head on Sungyeol’s shoulder.

“Are you tired?” Sungyeol asked as Sunggyu shifted to make himself more comfortable.

“Yeah,” he mumbled sleepily, “Training today was extra intense. I need to recharge soon.”

Sungyeol felt his breathing even out and clicked his tongue. “Well, don’t fall asleep on me,” he muttered, but made no attempt to move. Sungyeol looked around for someone to help him carry Sunggyu back to his room, but they were alone. He sighed helplessly and wrapped his arm around Sunggyu’s shoulders and decided to wait until someone else came home.

Hoya was the next to arrive. He almost passed right by the two until Sungyeol hissed, “Hey, help me out, would you?”

“What’s wrong?”

Sungyeol gestured with his chin at Sunggyu who was passed out against his arm. If he were human, he’d probably be drooling. Hoya laughed quietly. “How long has he been like that?”

“Too long,” Sungyeol whined. “My shoulder hurts and he’s heavy.”

“Fine,” Hoya replied, “You grab his shoulders and I’ll grab his feet and we’ll move him upstairs.”

Sungyeol nodded and they worked together to drag him, step-by-step up the stairs and onto the mattress in his bedroom. If Sungyeol had to guess, he’d say Sunggyu was heavier than Sunggyu-hyung had been even though they were roughly the same size, but he guessed that made sense when Sunggyu had bones and joints made from steel.

They heaved Sunggyu onto the mattress, and he miraculously didn’t wake up. Sunggyu-hyung definitely would have because Sunggyu-hyung woke up at the slightest commotion from downstairs. Sungyeol remembered how Sunggyu took every chance possible to sleep, but he never knew if that was because he loved sleep or because he was always lacking it.

Hoya sighed. “You can go now. I’ll take care of him.” Sungyeol nodded, but as he went to leave, he left the door cracked so he could peek inside. He couldn’t say why he did it, except that perhaps he had a new hypothesis forming. He felt like he was confirming something as he saw Hoya brush the hair out of Sunggyu’s eyes and smile fondly down at him.

After that, Sungyeol tried ignoring him.

This was something he never would have done with Sunggyu-hyung. He’d tried to, once when he was younger and more petulant, but Sunggyu-hyung wasn’t someone you just… ignored. Whether it was tugging at Sungyeol’s ear until he was forced to meet his gaze or lecturing him until he snapped, Sunggyu-hyung had a way of getting what he wanted.

So that was what he was expecting (hoping for) when Sunggyu approached him one afternoon. Woohyun was in the kitchen, making lunch, and Sungyeol was helping him. Sunggyu slipped quietly into the kitchen and startled him when he leaned over his shoulder.

“What are you making?” he asked curiously.

Sungyeol bit his lip and looked away. Sunggyu’s brows furrowed as he took in Sungyeol’s reaction

“Chicken and mushroom soup,” Woohyun replied after a moment. He was a little confused by Sungyeol’s silence, but figured it must be another one of his pranks.

“Oh.” Sunggyu continued to hover over Sungyeol’s shoulder. “What’s it taste like?”

This time Sungyeol could feel Sunggyu’s eyes trained on him, but he refused to meet his gaze. It was silent for a tense moment before Woohyun broke it once more. “It’s a bit fishy. I know you don’t eat, but you can’t try it at all?”

“No, I don’t have a sense of taste, so it’s pointless, really,” Sunggyu shrugged. He finally pulled away from Sungyeol’s shoulder to stand next to Woohyun. Sungyeol sighed quietly in relief, but he could feel Sunggyu look at him from time to time, as if trying to figure something out.

This went on for several days. Sunggyu would approach him with some matter or other, and Sungyeol would ignore him. Sunggyu would spend the rest of the day staring at him. Rinse and repeat.

Finally, Sungyeol began to notice some changes, but they were not what he expected. Sunggyu began to approach him less, and watch him more. When he did approach, it was with a more hesitant note in his voice. Sungyeol could see traces of hurt in his expression, and finally decided to end his experiment. Sunggyu-hyung never showed that he was hurt.

He stopped ignoring Sunggyu as suddenly as he’d begun, and if Sunggyu was confused about his mistreatment, he never asked about it. Sungyeol felt guilty, really, and he wasn’t quite sure why. After all, with this third experiment he had confirmed it.

This was not Sunggyu-hyung.

This person--or person-looking machine--looked like him, and occasionally acted as how Sunggyu-hyung might have acted in a story from Dongwoo about the two of them before they found Woohyun.

So who was this Sunggyu? Sungyeol wasn’t sure how to define this person except by comparison to Sunggyu-hyung. He was softer than Sunggyu-hyung, though perhaps not more fragile. Fragility was such a hard thing to measure, after all. Glass is harder, but brittle, and something in the way Sunggyu-hyung’s eyes had always darted about the room, never resting on any one thing too long, made him feel as if there was something in him waiting to break. This Sunggyu was more affectionate than Sunggyu-hyung, more trusting, and above all he was a better brother than Sunggyu-hyung had ever been.

Sungyeol loved him. He loved Sunggyu-hyung, but Sunggyu-hyung was someone who was hard to get close to. Every time Sungyeol thought they had gotten closer, he’d mess up, and it was back to Sunggyu the leader, Sunggyu the father. It was ridiculous, because Sunggyu-hyung was only a couple years older than him biologically, but in other ways he was so much more experienced that they couldn’t really be compared.

Sungyeol didn’t know that much about brothers, but he was sure that brothers were people who grew up together. Sunggyu-hyung didn’t grow up with them. Life and all her hardships had forced him to grow up since the moment he decided to be responsible for another person’s life. In a different world, perhaps Sunggyu-hyung would have been more like this android Sunggyu, Sungyeol mused. But even if that were true, they didn’t live in a different world. They lived in this one, the one in which Sunggyu the hyung no longer existed.

Sungyeol ceased his experiments.

To his displeasure, his hypothesis had been reaffirmed. Sunggyu was not the same person as Sunggyu-hyung, but that didn’t make him a bad person. No one else seemed to acknowledge this monumental realization, and Sungyeol, wisely for once, decided to hold his tongue. What good would it do anyone to point out that Sunggyu wasn’t who he said he was (or, rather, who Woohyun said he was)? Nothing. It would do nobody any good at all.

At the same time Sungyeol came to his own conclusions, Sunggyu was conducting a little experiment of his own. Perhaps not so much an experiment as a set of observations, and his observation was this: humans were really fucking weird. First, there was Sungyeol hanging all over him like they were extremely close and then ignoring him. He’d thought he’d done something wrong at first, but Woohyun assured him that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t so sure, but the other day Sungyeol finally stopped ignoring him. He was glad because Sungyeol’s shoulder was really the perfect height for resting his head on.

Perhaps that was a selfish thing to say. Selfishness, Sunggyu learned, was not always a bad thing to humans. Woohyun seemed to encourage him to be selfish. He liked when Sunggyu stopped hesitating in his words and started commanding him around. Sunggyu didn’t really know  _ why _ Woohyun liked it, but it made him feel good to be listened to.

“Woohyunnie,” he said one morning as they were laying in bed. (Woohyun was particularly happy when Sunggyu called him that, and it guaranteed 90% returns on his requests). “Why are you and Hoya fighting?”

Woohyun’s expression darkened. “We’re not fighting.”

Sunggyu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. In the beginning, when he was young and didn’t know much about humans, he would have taken Woohyun’s word for it. Now, he was much smarter and he  _ knew _ that Woohyun was lying. “If you’re not fighting, then why aren’t you talking to each other?”

Woohyun muttered something unintelligible and rolled over, turning his back towards Sunggyu. “We’re not fighting.”

“Then talk to him,” Sunggyu said.

“No.”

“Then I won’t talk to you.”

Woohyun rolled back over and scrutinized him, as if to check if he were serious or not. “You just did.”

“You’re such a child,” Sunggyu groaned.

“That’s rich from someone who has the same number of memories as a four month old,” Woohyun snorted. He flinched when Sunggyu punched his arm. “Ow! What was that for?”

“You know what it’s for.”

Woohyun simply smiled happily at him and rolled onto his back. Apparently he was determined not to answer any of Sunggyu’s questions today, so he would simply have to change tactics.

He went to Hoya after practicing together with Jieun and Eunha. Hoya was panting, arms and torso covered in a sheen of sweat.

“Why are you and Woohyun fighting?” Sunggyu asked, hugging his legs to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

“We’re not fighting,” Hoya grunted in reply.

“Then why don’t you talk to each other anymore?”

“I’m going to help Dongwoo with… something.” Hoya pushed himself off the floor and headed for the door that led back to the living room.

“At least Woohyun pretended he wasn’t avoiding my questions!” Sunggyu shouted at his retreating form, but Hoya didn’t acknowledge him. Sunggyu clicked his tongue and decided to simply observe some more.

He decided to watch Woohyun’s longing gazes across the room as Hoya talked with Dongwoo or Sungjong or anyone who wasn’t Woohyun. When he brought it up later, Woohyun denied everything of course, but Sunggyu knew what that look was. It was want.

Hoya was a bit harder to decipher. He had this really intense way of looking at everyone and everything that it became hard for Sunggyu to decipher the differences between them. When he was hungry, his lips turned downward. When he was content, the crease around his eyebrow disappeared. When he looked at Sunggyu or Woohyun, the dark look there was enough to make Sunggyu shudder. He didn’t know what it was, but it made his skin tingle.

One evening, he snapped and decided to corner Hoya. Woohyun was already upstairs in their room, but Sunggyu decided he could wait for a bit.

“Hoya,” he said softly, “please talk to me.”

“About what?”

“Anything. What you’re feeling, how it can be set right, please, just tell me.”

Hoya sighed and closed his eyes. “There’s nothing you can do about it. Just forget it, Gyu.”

“Is it about me and Woohyun?” Sunggyu could tell by the way Hoya flinched that he’d hit the mark. “Are you mad that he kisses me?”

“Can we not talk about this?” Hoya said angrily. Sunggyu reached out to grab his arm before he could walk away.

“Please come back,” Sunggyu pleaded. “He misses you. I miss you.”

Hoya groaned. “Look, I get that you don’t understand this because you’re a robot or whatever, but when two people are…  _ together _ they typically don’t want to share their bed with a third wheel.”

“You’re not a third wheel,” Sunggyu replied.

“Then think about how I feel!” Hoya snapped. “I have to watch you two lay there and cuddle like couples fucking do, and I can’t--” Hoya slammed his lips shut to prevent whatever he was about to say from slipping out of his mouth.

“You can’t what?” Sunggyu asked, leaning in. “You can’t touch Woohyun? You can’t touch me?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he replied through gritted teeth.

“Hoya,” Sunggyu said softly. Hoya didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at Sunggyu, just kept his eyes trained on the floor waiting for the moment when Sunggyu would release him. Sunggyu sighed.

He lifted a hand to caress Hoya’s cheek, then force him to look up. “Please don’t suffer alone.”

Sunggyu could feel his circuit boards heat up with the millions of calculations being made per second, all to tell him the thousands of ways why this was or wasn’t a good idea. He ignored all of them and leaned in to press his lips softly against Hoya’s.

Hoya grunted in surprise and pushed Sunggyu away. His voice was little louder than a whisper. “Gyu… what are you doing?”

“I--” Sunggyu folded his arms and tried to explain. “I kissed you.”

“Yes but  _ why. _ ”

“I don’t know! I just wanted to!”

“Sunggyu,” Hoya said darkly. “You can’t do that. You have Woohyun.”

“Can’t I love two people at once?” Sunggyu asked desperately. “Is that so strange?”

“It is,” Hoya insisted. “You can’t.”

“What about you then!?” Sunggyu began to pace back and forth as he grew increasingly upset. “You love Woohyun, but you also love me!”

Hoya’s expression was stricken. “That’s--How do you know that?”

“I see the way you look at him,” Sunggyu said lowly. “You look at him and you  _ want _ ; it’s so clear in your eyes, and I couldn’t figure it out for the longest time because you looked at me with those eyes too.”

“I--that’s not true, it’s--”

“It is true.” Sunggyu stepped closer until he could grip Hoya’s shirt in his hands. “Hoya, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“I--” Hoya swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. “I can’t do this again.”

“Do what again?” Sunggyu asked, inching closer until his body was nearly pressed flush with Hoya’s.

“ _ This _ ,” Hoya said, “This--Sunggyu, human Sunggyu, he did this. He came on to me, made me  _ want _ him, even though I--” He gulped. “This is wrong.”

“What’s wrong about it?” Sunggyu asked stubbornly. “That it’s three of us instead of two? Nothing about this is normal!” Sunggyu let go of his shirt and took a step back. “I’m not normal! But Woohyun wants you the way he wants me, and you want us, and I--I never knew what wanting was!”

Hoya felt his throat go dry. He asked quietly, “Do you know what it is now?”

“I’m learning.”

Hoya leaned forward and placed his hands on Sunggyu’s cheeks and pressed his lips carefully against Sunggyu’s. He felt Sunggyu’s hand wrap around his wrist, but it made no attempt to push him away. Instead, Sunggyu responded to the kiss by opening his lips a bit and leaning in closer.

Hoya pulled away and looked at Sunggyu in the darkness of the living room. He wanted to compare how it felt to kissing human Sunggyu, but he realized that Sunggyu never let them kiss. For once, he was grateful for it. It wasn’t something that should be compared.

He let himself be pulled by Sunggyu up the stairs and stopped in front of Sunggyu and Woohyun’s room-- _ their _ room. Hoya suddenly felt nervous. “I--I can’t, Gyu. This is too strange.”

“It’ll be fine.” Sunggyu gripped his arm lightly and tugged him towards the door. “Just… talk.”

Hoya contemplated one last attempt to flee as Sunggyu pushed open the door and led him inside. Woohyun had just finished showering--his clothes were fresh and his hair was still damp. Sunggyu cleared his throat. Woohyun whirled around, surprised, then narrowed his eyes as he spotted Hoya lingering in the doorway.

“What are you doing here?”

Hoya took a deep breath. “Sunggyu told me to come back.”

“So you’ll come back for him and not for me?” Woohyun muttered angrily, pulling an old t-shirt on.

“That’s not what I mean,” Hoya replied. “I… I want to try.”

“Try what?”

“Being together,” he said, “I want to try being… something.”

The color drained from Woohyun’s face. He looked between Hoya and Sunggyu, not quite sure what he was hearing. Sunggyu said softly, “He means the three of us, Woohyun.”

“You’re… you’re fine with that?” Woohyun asked, disbelieving. None of them was quite sure if he was addressing Sunggyu or Hoya, but it didn’t matter, really.

“Yes,” Sunggyu said. “And Hoya is too, so let’s stop fighting.” He took a step closer to Hoya, urging him further into the room. “Let’s stop sleeping in separate rooms.”

Hoya looked at Woohyun, who simply nodded. He swallowed thickly and said, “Okay.”

So that night, as the three of them crawled over the single blanket covering that mattress on the floor, they did so together, with Hoya in the middle. And as Sunggyu pressed himself against Hoya’s side and Woohyun slung an arm across his chest, Hoya thought that if there was something wrong with this, he didn’t feel it.

After that night, it became routine. They would play rock, paper, scissors before bed to decide who’d be in the middle. Hoya thought it was strange that they should work things out starting from there, but nothing about their relationship was normal, and gradually, piece by piece, that became okay with him.

The kissing thing took longer to get used to, strangely enough. Hoya forgot sometimes that he could kiss them both whenever he wanted now. Woohyun and Sunggyu had to periodically remind him.

Woohyun reminded him in the mornings when they left to drop off packages or deliver messages for the Alliance.

“Be careful,” Woohyun said, as he always did. Hoya grunted affirmatively as he checked his bag to make sure everything he needed was there. He didn’t see Woohyun hesitate and bite his lip from where he was standing next to him. “Hoya.”

Hoya turned to ask him what was the matter, but Woohyun effectively stopped him with a quick kiss. It was little more than a peck on the lips, but it caused him to jerk back in surprise. “W-what was that for!?”

Woohyun flushed red in embarrassment. “Just… to say goodbye! I just wanted to!”

Hoya nodded carefully and they avoided each other’s gaze. “See you when we get home.”

“Yeah.” And in an instant, Woohyun was gone.

Hoya was left with the small regret that he hadn’t reciprocated. It was okay. He could do it when he got home.

Sunggyu reminded him when Hoya joined him for a practice session with Jieun and Eunha one afternoon. The two had become a regular site in their household, and Sunggyu had become friends with them--somewhat. They were a bit cold, but Hoya was glad to see him interacting with people outside of their household.

Hoya collapsed next to him after a bout of sparring, exhausted and covered in sweat. Sunggyu hummed and rubbed his shoulders. “You need to pay more attention to your blind spots.”

“I think I have bruises on my bruises,” Hoya groaned. Sunggyu smiled as he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. This time, Hoya remembered to respond, but Sunggyu pulled away all too quickly.

“Feel better?” Sunggyu asked.

“Yeah…” Hoya felt his cheeks burn red, and the sight of that caused Sunggyu’s cheeks to flush as well.

“Er, well, my turn, I guess.” Sunggyu laughed nervously and stood to face Jieun, who was waiting for him on the matt.

Hoya laid down and stared up at the ceiling until his heart stopped racing. He knew looking at Sunggyu would only make things worse, so he closed his eyes and tried to count to ten.

Just what exactly had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEAHHHH WE WOOGYUYA NOW. see? i told u to believe in me. woogyuya all the wayyyyyy


	10. The Ship of Theseus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is a bit late ;;;; kiiinda forgot i had to post this until like... when i originally planned to post it, but!!! it's still tuesday so it's all good, right? also, i've been SUPER busy over the holidays with so little time to edit or write ; ___ ;

_ Myungsoo had just turned fifteen when he got his first job. It was nothing big, just working part time at a local 24-hour convenience store, but it was something. It was the first secret he kept from Sunggyu. _

_ It wasn’t that he feared Sunggyu would be mad or make him quit, but rather he was afraid of telling Sunggyu what exactly it was for. So he made up excuses and lied about where he was going when he had his shifts. Since they were late at night, he had to tell Dongwoo about his job, and luckily Dongwoo agreed to keep his secret. _

_ He just had to time his arrival home apart from when Sunggyu usually got back and everything would be fine. _

_ Everything was not fine. _

_ He was locking the door quietly behind himself as he heard someone clear their throat from where they sat on the couch. Myungsoo jumped. The room was pitch black, so he’d assumed there was no one there. _

_ “Did you work hard, Myungsoo-yah?” Sunggyu asked with an amused expression as he turned on a lamp. _

_ “H-hyung…” Myungsoo bit his lip, contemplating whether it was worth it to lie at this point, but he figured he better not. Sunggyu always knew everything, especially when they were lying. “Yes. I’m sorry for not telling you.” _

_ “No you’re not,” Sunggyu said, then laughed quietly. “I’m not mad, Myungsoo-yah. Did you think I would be?” _

_ Myungsoo hung his head and mumbled, “I wanted to buy something.” _

_ “What did you want to buy?” Sunggyu asked gently, pushing himself off the couch and walking towards where Myungsoo stood. _

_ “A camera.” Myungsoo swallowed thickly, not daring to look up. “I want a nice camera to take pictures with. Not just a plain digital one, but a real photographer’s camera.” _

_ He jumped as he felt Sunggyu rest his hands on his shoulders. Myungsoo dared a glance upward, and was surprised to find Sunggyu’s expression one of amusement rather than anger. “Why would I be mad about that?” _

_ “B-because I could be spending it on better things, like food or clothes or helping you and the other hyungs pay bills.” Myungsoo stumbled over his words. He wasn’t the best at expressing himself in the first place, and it was harder when it was Sunggyu. _

_ “Myungsoo-yah, let me worry about that, okay?” Sunggyu sighed and ruffled his hair. “You and Sungyeollie and Sungjongie are the youngest, so don’t worry about stuff like that.” Myungsoo stared at Sunggyu in shock. Sunggyu laughed and said, “When did you get so tall, Myung-ah? You and Sungyeol are both as tall as me now!” _

_ Myungsoo’s lips split into a hesitant smile. “You know we’re not even done growing, right? Especially Sungyeol. He’s going to be taller than all of us.” _

_ “Ugh, don’t remind me,” Sunggyu said, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He reached out and placed a hand on Myungsoo’s forearm. “Work hard, okay?” _

_ Myungsoo nodded vigorously, and Sunggyu smiled in satisfaction, then retreated upstairs to his bedroom. As his footsteps receded into the darkness, Myungsoo stared curiously at where he’d disappeared, puzzled by Sunggyu’s actions. _

_ He continued to work at the convenience store as often as he could. After several months, he had enough saved up that he could walk into the camera shop and buy the exact model he wanted. Myungsoo could hardly keep the smile off his face as he briskly made his way back home after he made his purchase. _

_ Sungyeol, Sungjong, and Woohyun hounded him as soon as he walked through the front door, begging for him to show them how it worked or to take pictures of them. Myungsoo laughed and agreed, and he spent the rest of the evening filling the memory card with pictures of his house and his family. They weren’t great, not as great as they would one day be, but it was a start. _

_ Sunggyu was the last to approach him. After the others left he pulled Myungsoo into a hug and whispered, “Congrats. You’ve worked hard.” _

_ “Thanks, hyung.” Myungsoo pulled back and lifted up his camera. “Can I take a picture?” _

_ Sunggyu laughed nervously. “No need. Just take pictures of the others.” _

_ “I already have pictures of the others,” Myungsoo explained, “so let me take one of you.” _

_ “Er, okay,” Sunggyu said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. Myungsoo grinned and lifted up the camera, and before Sunggyu had time to protest, he took a snapshot. Sunggyu’s expression was surprised in it, his lips just barely open as if he had something to say. _

_ “I wasn’t ready!” Sunggyu whined, “Delete it!” _

_ “Nope, it’s perfect.” Myungsoo smiled to himself and turned off the camera. _

_ Sunggyu huffed and pouted. “Seriously, don’t take pictures of people when they aren’t expecting it. Jeez.” _

_ “That’s the point hyung,” Myungsoo replied. “They’re called ‘candid shots.’” _

_ “Well, don’t take them of me.” He scowled as he said it, and Myungsoo laughed. _

_ “Sure hyung,” he said, “Whatever you say.” _

_ Myungsoo never stopped trying to get the perfect candid shot of Sunggyu. It was partly due to the fact that Sunggyu was rarely home and awake while he was and partly because Sunggyu kept constant vigilance. One day, however, things began to change. _

_ It started when Sunggyu told them all he got a new job. It was a relief, for the older boys especially, who were always the ones who had to patch Sunggyu up when he’d been gone for days at a time. There was work to be had for all of them, and much of the helplessness that had been a hallmark of his childhood in that household began to fade. _

_ Finally, it felt as though they could do something to help Sunggyu instead of relying on him for everything. _

_ It was a Sunday afternoon. For once, Sunggyu had no work to do and nowhere to be. He’d been home all day, just catching up with everyone, and Myungsoo spotted him where he sat on the couch, leaning on Woohyun’s shoulder as they watched a video on his phone. Myungsoo grabbed his camera and snuck quietly across the room until he had the perfect angle, then took the picture. _

_ He darted back across the room to look at the preview. Sunggyu was leaning in close, his hair tickling the tip of Woohyun’s nose as he peered down at the tiny screen. There was a bright smile on his face, as if whatever Woohyun was telling him made him the happiest he’d ever been. Woohyun was staring at him like he was the only thing in the world. For once, everything was perfect. _

***

Myungsoo was up late one night carefully cleaning one of several lenses he had collected for his camera. This one was considerably nicer than what he had started out with, so he only cleaned it at night when the rest of the household was asleep and unable to disturb him. As much as he loved Sungyeol, he could be rather loud when he was trying to concentrate.

He registered the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and approaching the kitchen table. He briefly looked up and saw that it was Sunggyu.

“What are you doing up?” Myungsoo asked quietly, packing away his soft-bristled brush.

“Waiting for Woohyun to get home,” he mumbled sheepishly. “Hoya said he’d be fine, but I couldn’t sleep.”

Myungsoo nodded in understanding and gestured to the seat next to him. He pulled out a cloth and dabbed a couple drops of lens cleaner onto it.

“What are you doing?” Sunggyu asked curiously.

“Cleaning my camera lens,” Myungsoo replied. “They’re expensive, so I have to do this carefully.”

“You take pictures?”

Myungsoo looked at him with an unreadable gaze. Finally, he smiled a bit and said, “Yeah, I do. I have since I was fifteen.”

Sunggyu hummed thoughtfully. “Can I see them? Or are they private?”

Myungsoo rubbed the oil and dirt off the glass lens in small, circular motions. He set it down carefully and looked at Sunggyu. “Do you want to?”

Sunggyu nodded his head vigorously. Myungsoo put the lens back together and went upstairs to get the old box he kept his favorite photos in. Many he had hanging on the walls of the bedroom he shared with Dongwoo-hyung, but he kept his most precious copies in that box.

He set the box down on the kitchen table and carefully opened the lid. He pulled out a stack and handed them to Sunggyu. “I took all those.”

“Wow,” Sunggyu said softly as he marvelled at the sheer volume of photographs. They were  _ good _ too, though he didn’t know much about photography. There was something appealing about them though, something that drew his eye. “You could be a professional, you know.”

Myungsoo smiled sadly. “You said that before.”

“Did I?” Sunggyu’s hands stilled as he got to one particular photo. It was of Sunggyu, the human Sunggyu, standing in the doorway of the kitchen on a bright afternoon. It was strange, he thought, to see himself in a photograph but feel no connection to it. He stared at it long and hard, trying to bring back even one speck of memory, a feeling at least, but nothing came to him. It was like he was staring at a completely different person.

Sunggyu picked up another photo and found that it was of the seven of them by the ocean. It couldn’t have been taken more than a year ago. Myungsoo must have set a timer on the camera. Human Sunggyu had his arm slung around Woohyun and Dongwoo’s shoulders as he stood in the middle, just a step back so that the other members would be more prominent in the shot.

“That was from our beach trip,” Myungsoo explained. “We didn’t travel a lot, but last year we all worked together and saved up enough to go to Busan and see the ocean.” He smiled happily as he recounted the memory. “You had a nightmarish time trying to keep up with all of us because we kept wandering off. We all got our ears chewed off back at the hotel that night.”

“Did I like the ocean?” Sunggyu asked, his voice a little sad.

“No,” Myungsoo said, “Actually you hated the water. We kept trying to get you to come in, even just up to your waist, but you said you were fine sitting on your towel, watching us play.”

Sunggyu nodded and carefully set the photo aside, unnerved, but it proved useless as he flipped through the pile and found more pictures of himself. The photographs were mostly of them, just going about their daily lives--candid shots of Sungjong concentrating on an earring he was designing or Sungyeol messing around in the garage. The ones of Sunggyu usually showed him sleeping or smiling casually at the camera.

“I hardly ever got any candids of you,” Myungsoo said suddenly. Sunggyu looked up from the photograph as he explained. “It was like you always knew when I was trying to take a photograph of you, even when I was sure I hid well.”

Sunggyu laughed humorlessly. “I’m sorry then. It looks like I ruined all of the shots I was in.”

“No, not at all.” Myungsoo dug through the pile of photographs and pulled out one black and white one of Sunggyu. “Besides, when I  _ did _ manage to get a candid of you, they were some of the best ones I took.”

Sunggyu took the photograph from him and stared at it. The Sunggyu in the photograph was reaching one hand behind himself to massage his shoulder. His face looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. He was staring into the distance with a tired expression, and it made Sunggyu sad to look at him.

“I took that one day after you came home from working,” Myungsoo said quietly. “Do you remember? You caught me right after and threatened to take the camera away.” He smiled fondly and added, “I think you were actually just really self-conscious.”

Sunggyu stared sadly at the photograph, then handed it back. “I’m sorry. I--I don’t feel anything when I look at these. It’s like looking at a different person.”

Myungsoo’s face fell a bit and he put the photograph back in the box. They sat there in silence for a bit before Myungsoo asked, “Have you heard of the Ship of Theseus?”

Sunggyu shook his head, and Myungsoo smiled. “That’s okay, not many have. It’s a paradox, you know, that’s existed since Ancient Greece.” He set about straightening the photographs and putting them back into the box. “It’s a thought experiment--a paradox. If a man called Theseus has a ship, and over the course of many years each and every part of the ship gets individually replaced, does it become a different ship?”

Sunggyu sat back in his chair and furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. Does it?”

“It’s unsolvable,” Myungsoo replied, “that’s why it’s called a paradox. There are a couple different ideas though. Some say it remains the same because its form is the same, but I don’t agree. After all, if Theseus were to change the design a little, like if he added another sail or something, don’t you think it’d be the same ship?”

“I guess so,” Sunggyu said slowly. He began to grow uneasy with Myungsoo’s line of thought.

“Another philosopher said that because it retains a sense of continuity, it’s still the same ship. I don’t know, though...” Myungsoo said. “What do you think, hyung?”

“Why are you asking me this?” Sunggyu asked quietly.

Myungsoo was silent for a moment. Then, he shrugged. “It just came to mind.” He stood and lifted up his camera. Sunggyu opened his mouth to ask him what he was doing when he heard the shutter click. Myungsoo surprised him even further when he stepped closer to wrap his arms around Sunggyu’s shoulders.

“Myungsoo, what’s wrong?” Sunggyu asked.

Myungsoo simply shook his head and said, “Goodnight, hyung.”

“Goodnight..” Sunggyu said uneasily as Myungsoo turned and left him alone in the kitchen. He chewed on his lip as he thought carefully about what he had said until he was pulled from his stupor by the sound of Woohyun walking through the front door. He jumped up and went to greet him.

Woohyun leaned in to press a brief kiss to his lips and asked, “What are you doing up so late?”

“I was worried about you and couldn’t enter sleep mode,” he confessed. “Hoya said you’d be fine, but--”

“I’m unharmed, as you can see.” Woohyun shrugged off his jacket and held his arms out for Sunggyu to inspect his body.

Sunggyu scowled and shoved his chest. “You ass.”

Woohyun laughed quietly and together they ascended the stairs. Hoya barely stirred as Woohyun stripped off his clothes and they both quietly slipped into bed. Sunggyu shifted towards the middle, and Hoya wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close to his chest in his sleep. Woohyun took the hand that he let lay in front of his face.

“Goodnight, Gyu.”

Sunggyu felt like there was something he wanted to say, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. Instead, he simply bid Woohyun goodnight and fell into an uneasy sleep.

Myungsoo’s paradox continued to trouble Sunggyu over the next couple of days. He was distracted during practice, and Jieun and Eunha were quick to catch on.

“Do you have somewhere you’d rather be, Sunggyu-ssi?” Jieun asked him as she pinned him to the matt once again.

“No,” he gasped. She unpinned him and helped him to his feet.

“Then please focus.”

Woohyun watched the ordeal with his head cocked to one side. After practice was over, he gripped Sunggyu’s shoulder gently.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern evident in his features.

“I’m fine,” Sunggyu mumbled. “Just have things on my mind.”

“Like what?”

Sunggyu stared at him for a measured moment. “It’s nothing, really. I’m fine.”

Woohyun looked like he wanted to press the issue, but thankfully he decided not to. Sunggyu went through the day and the pit in his stomach grew ever larger. Woohyun kept an eye on him and noticed that his mood seemed to worsen.

Later that evening, when everyone else was eating dinner, Hoya went to check on Sunggyu. He was laying down on their mattress, his eyes closed, so Hoya assumed that he was asleep and turned to go.

“Did you want something?” Sunggyu asked.

Hoya stopped and turned around slowly. “Just wanted to know why you weren’t at dinner.”

“I can’t eat,” Sunggyu replied, smiling. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Hoya. “I’m sure Woohyun’s food is delicious though.”

“Nah, it’s Sungyeol’s turn to cook tonight.” Hoya laughed at the way Sunggyu grimaced. “Why are  _ you _ making that face? It’s not like you can taste it.”

“It just looks bad,” Sunggyu explained. “It looks like… slop.”

Hoya sighed and sat down on the bed next to him. “I guess it basically is.”

Sunggyu stared at him quietly for a moment. “Aren’t you going to go eat?”

“Honestly,” Hoya replied, “all this talk of Sungyeol’s cooking has kind of put me off my dinner.”

Sunggyu frowned. “You should eat something--”

“No lecturing!” Hoya groaned, wrapping his arms around Sunggyu’s shoulders and pulling him into his chest. “That’s one thing you and the human Gyu have in common.”

Sunggyu rested his hand on Hoya’s arm and stared silently at the distant wall, lost in thought. Hoya tightened his grip around Sunggyu’s shoulders. “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about… the ocean,” Sunggyu said slowly.

“You want to go see the ocean?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, “even though I can’t swim. That’s probably stupid though.”

“It’s not.” Hoya tilted his head, thinking hard. “There’s lots of stuff to do at the ocean. You don’t have to swim. You can… watch the sunset or sunrise as it comes up over the water. Oh! We could bury Woohyun in the sand!”

Sunggyu laughed. “Do people really do that?”

“Yes. Don’t ask me why though.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand people,” Sunggyu said, but Hoya was relieved that his tone was lighter than it had been before.

Hoya shrugged. “People don’t understand people.”

“That’s why you have thinkers and writers,” Sunggyu said quietly. “They try and make sense of humans. I wonder who’s going to make sense of me?”

Hoya hummed thoughtfully. “I guess you’ll have to do it yourself.”

Sunggyu nodded and rested his head on Hoya’s arm. Hoya pressed a kiss against the top of his head. Sunggyu felt the ghost of lips on skin as he mumbled, “Are you going to come downstairs now?”

He smiled weakly and shook his head. “I’m a bit tired today. I think I’ll just rest up here until you two turn in, okay?”

Hoya sighed and pushed himself up. “That’s fine I guess.” He hesitated in the doorway. “Gyu… don’t think too hard, okay?”

Sunggyu nodded to reassure him. Hoya left the door cracked just enough that Sunggyu could hear the rest of them downstairs so that maybe he would feel a little bit less alone. All throughout dinner he and Woohyun were throwing worried glances up the stairs, the sinking feeling in their stomachs getting worse as the evening wore on.

Eventually, Sunggyu made his way downstairs. He shrugged on a jacket, slipping Navi into his pocket.

“Where are you going?” Woohyun asked sharply. He threw Hoya a worried glance.

Sunggyu stared at him evenly, then shrugged. “I’m going for a walk.”

“This late?” Woohyun frowned and began to walk towards him. “It’s already dark out, Gyu.”

“I just need to clear my head,” he said quietly.

Woohyun looked unsure, but Hoya stopped him before he could protest. “He’ll be fine. You’ll stay close by, won’t you, Gyu?”

“I’m not a kid,” Sunggyu muttered. He pulled Navi out of his pocket and showed them. “I’ll stay close and I won’t get lost. I just need some fresh air.”

Woohyun bit his lip, but sighed. He couldn’t keep Sunggyu inside forever; it wasn’t right. They weren’t Sunggyu’s parents, nor his caretakers. He had no right to keep him here. “Fine, but if we’re all going to bed and you’re still gone I’m going looking for you.”

Sunggyu smiled, a genuine one this time. “Thanks, Hyun.”

“And wear a mask!” Woohyun added.

Sunggyu rolled his eyes, but still grinned as he slipped on the medical mask that would hide his face in case any passersby recognized him from the service announcements. Hoya and Woohyun waved goodbye, and as the door closed shut behind him, Sunggyu sighed. He watched the way his breath steamed in the cool March air.

He made his way around the block and over to some side streets.There was no reason, really, for being out so late, but the house felt stifling at the moment, and being outside without any supervision felt freeing.

Sunggyu turned a corner and stopped to look at the various posters pasted to the brick wall of a nearby building. There were advertisements for music events, notices of lost pets. The images with his own face on them had already been covered up. He smiled at this, but Sunggyu felt his entire body go rigid as a man stepped up beside him and draped an arm around his shoulders.

He instinctively pulled away, but the man was prepared for this and gripped him firmly by the arm. Sunggyu instantly recognized the man’s timbre. “It’s been a while, SG-01.”

“Let me go,” Sunggyu said quietly. He clenched his hands into fists to keep his fingers from trembling.

“Oh, I will,” Senator Lee said simply. “I just wanted to chat for a bit. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind accompanying me somewhere more private?”

Sunggyu knew he had the power to shake Senator Lee off, but it was a busy street and doing so would attract unwanted attention. All it would take is for the Senator to shout out his true identity for him to be captured and decommissioned without a second thought.

The Senator shoved Sunggyu down a nearby alleyway that ended in a concrete wall. He was sure to stand in front of the only exit, effectively barring Sunggyu’s escape.

“How did you find me?” Sunggyu asked, stalling for time.

Senator Lee smiled and pointed towards his pocket. Sunggyu slowly took out Navi and turned it over in his palm. “You think I would have let you escape my household without a way to track you?”

Sunggyu’s scowl faltered. “What do you want with me?”

“Just checking in with you, making sure you’re doing well.” Senator Lee gave him a sharp smile that sent chills down Sunggyu’s spine. “I wanted to remind you of our little deal.”

“I--I haven’t forgotten.” Sunggyu glanced about the alley for an escape route.

“I think you have.” Sunggyu instinctively took a step backwards as Senator Lee backed him further into the alley. His circuits tingled with anticipation as he realized there was nowhere left for him to go. “Come back to me, SG-01.”

Sunggyu glared at him. “No.”

“You won’t be punished,” Senator Lee said, extending a hand towards him. “No, you’ll be rewarded. I believe in positive reinforcement after all.”

“I’m not your dog.”

“No, you’re not.” Senator smiled patiently. “But you’re not a human either.” He sighed, as if he were attempting to reason with a petulant child. “Come back to me. Submit yourself to me completely, and I will show you what you truly are.”

Sunggyu eyed him warily, a sinking feeling growing in his gut. “And what does that mean?”

“It means that you will allow me to overwrite the part of you that gives you free will.”

“Why would I want that?” he said sharply. “I don’t want to be your slave or your servant! I’m not coming back.”

“Why? So you can be with those boys who think you’re one of them?” Senator Lee smiled and shook his head. “You’re  _ not _ , SG-01. You’re not one of them.”

Sunggyu clenched his fist by his side. “You’re wrong. They accept me.”

“For now.” Senator Lee’s lips curved upwards into a smile. “What happens when they find out you’re a monster?”

“I’m not a monster.” Sunggyu took a step forward and squared his shoulders. “No matter what you say… I know I’m not a monster.”

“But what  _ are _ you, SG-01? Only I can tell you that.” After a tense moment, Senator Lee smiled graciously and stepped aside. “My doors are always open to you. When you wish to return home, simply walk up to the help desk at the border station between the first and second stratum and one of the other servants will be down to fetch you.“

Sunggyu ignored him and took his chance to flee the alley, but before he got out of earshot, Senator Lee made sure to tell him one last thing.

“If you decide to go looking for answers, be sure that you’re prepared to hear them.”

Sunggyu paused at the exit back onto the main street, but only for a moment. He continued on his way home, never bothering to look back.

The three of them were readying for bed when Woohyun asked softly, “Gyu, what happened today?”

Sunggyu frowned and pulled on a soft cotton t-shirt for sleeping in. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Something’s been bothering you.” Hoya said as he stepped behind Sunggyu and wrapped his arms around his waist.

Sunggyu shot him a glare from over his shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve been acting weird all day,” Woohyun insisted. “You’re distracted by something.”

Sunggyu seemed to hesitate at that, but again he said, “Nothing’s wrong with me.”

Woohyun sighed and stepped closer to him, cupping his face in his hands and kissing him, soft and slow. “I wish you would tell me,” he mumbled against his lips. “Please?”

“I just--” He pulled Woohyun’s hands away from his face and tried to take a step back, but ended up leaning further into Hoya’s grip. “I don’t… feel good. Not about  _ this,  _ about us, but about… being here, in general.”

Woohyun groaned and Hoya wrapped his arms tighter around him. “Not this again,” Woohyun said, frustrated. “I told you not to think that way. You’re  _ our _ Gyu; we want to take care of you.”

Hoya frowned as he noticed Sunggyu flinch slightly at Woohyun’s words. He said gently, “You know I agree. Stop thinking so hard about it.”

“But, but--” Sunggyu swallowed hard. “What  _ am _ I? I’m like--I’m the ship of Theseus.”

Hoya furrowed his brows. “What does that mean?”

“It means…” Sunggyu sighed and let his shoulders slump. “I don’t know what I am. I was made to serve humans mindlessly, but instead I was given free will. But I’m not a person, either, I’m--”

“You are,” Woohyun said quickly. “Sunggyu, you are a person. You’re just… different.”

“I don’t feel like a person,” Sunggyu said quietly. Woohyun stepped closer and kissed him again, deeper this time. Sunggyu relaxed a bit and wrapped his arms around Woohyun’s neck. He shivered as Hoya began to press kisses to the back of his neck.

He gasped a little as Woohyun slipped a hand under his shirt which allowed Woohyun to slip his tongue into Sunggyu’s mouth. It felt good, painfully good, and Sunggyu wondered bitterly why they bothered giving him sensations of pleasure when he was never intended to be able to say no in the first place. He felt Hoya grip his hips and pull him closer, and he knew what it was when he felt something hard grind against his ass.

“Stop,” Sunggyu gasped, pushing Woohyun off of him and slipping easily from Hoya’s gasp. He took a couple of heaving breaths as he felt the self-hatred set in. “I’m sorry. I--I want to, but--” He bit his lower lip painfully.

“It’s okay,” Hoya said soothingly. He rested his hands gently on Sunggyu’s shoulders. Woohyun stared at him with a concerned expression that made Sunggyu’s heart ache. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Sunggyu shook his head and repeated, “I’m sorry.”

The mood was effectively ruined because of his over-the-top reaction, and the three went to bed quietly, Sunggyu in the middle. For once, he was dreading it, because it meant being held and squeezed and hugged and he really just wanted to be left alone.

Hoya and Woohyun, thankfully, seemed to sense this and didn’t make any attempt to embrace him as they slept. Sunggyu wasn’t sure if it made him feel better or worse.

He knew what they wanted. He’d known for a couple weeks now. Hoya and Woohyun were ready to try sex, and Sunggyu… Sunggyu wanted it so badly it hurt. He wanted to feel accepted, to feel loved and wanted, but in the back of his mind he was afraid they’d run away when they became familiar with the functions of the more intimate parts of his anatomy.

He was built for pleasure. It wasn’t stated in graphic terms, and it was never emphasized while he was at the factory because androids would become terrified of their users before even meeting them. It was more of an unspoken rule in any household that androids are built for human enjoyment and companionship.

He knew they were different than Senator Lee, and he wasn’t afraid of them. He was afraid of himself. Sunggyu was afraid of the parts of him that were fake, that weren’t human, that weren’t  _ real _ . Hoya and Woohyun could kid themselves all they wanted, but when it happened… when Sunggyu had to explain to them his physiology, they would have to face reality, and Sunggyu wasn’t ready for that to happen.

Not yet.

He knew he didn’t have forever. They wouldn’t wait for him. They couldn’t. They were humans, and humans constantly changed, adapted, and Sunggyu felt like if he stayed stuck in this rut of self-loathing they’d simply move on without him. He kept going back and forth. It was logical that they would move forward because that was what humans did. It was illogical because they said it was okay. It was logical because humans lie. Rinse, repeat.

As Sunggyu reached out to grip the back of Woohyun’s shirt lightly, he was grateful that they had still slept close enough for him to touch.


	11. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu remembered when he first became conscious, but this… this felt like waking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaa im so sorry this chapter took so long.... tbh i fell into a really bad writer's block where i felt like everything i wrote was shit. this chapter has been edited a loooooot. i didn't want to force anything out because i wanted to present a high quality work, and i felt like i shouldn't expect anyone else to like my writing if i didn't like it myself. i also needed to take some time and remind myself why i'm writing this which is because i really like this story, not because of comments or kudos or getting a lot of views (though they are very nice). i'm glad i waited though, because i really like what i put down in the second half of this chapter. i hope you think it's worth the wait too!

_Dongwoo didn’t remember much about his life on the streets before he met Sunggyu. Truthfully, it had only been a few weeks before he’d met Sunggyu and they decided to look out for each other. Sunggyu had just run away from his home too, but he never liked to talk about it. It wasn’t until much later that Dongwoo gleaned a reason as to why._

_One evening, when Dongwoo was fourteen, he managed to catch Sunggyu as he was walking out the door for the night._

_“Hyung, when are you coming back?” he asked worriedly, noting his pale complexion._

_Sunggyu shrugged and wiped at his nose with his sleeve. “I’ll be back in the morning. I’m just pickpocketing around the fourth stratum tonight, don’t worry.”_

_Dongwoo pursed his lips. “Hyung, you know that’s dangerous. People there are armed. They know how to fight.”_

_“At least there are fewer drones patrolling,” Sunggyu shrugged, then smiled. “And I know how to fight back.”_

_“Don’t stay out too long,” Dongwoo said gently. “Please.”_

_Sunggyu looked at him for a moment, then nodded and stuck out his pinky. “I promise, Dongwoo-yah.”_

_Dongwoo smiled happily and completed the ritual. He waved Sunggyu off and went back to helping Woohyun and Hoya with math problems. They didn’t go to school because their parents would easily find them then, but Dongwoo and Sunggyu taught them what they could, and Sunggyu purchased new study materials whenever they had the money._

_“When will Sunggyu be back?” Woohyun asked with faked nonchalance. Dongwoo resisted the urge to laugh. He basically hero-worshipped Sunggyu, much to Sunggyu’s annoyance. It sometimes worried him, but Sunggyu always set boundaries and made sure Woohyun didn’t join him on any of his escapades into the heart of the city._

_“He said he’ll be back by tomorrow morning,” Dongwoo replied._

_“He always says that,” Hoya muttered. “Ten thousand won says he won’t be.”_

_“Shut up,” Woohyun hissed. Hoya yelped as Woohyun kicked him under the table. Sungyeol laughed at their antics and Dongwoo sighed. It was going to be a long night._

_The next morning he was awoken to Woohyun shaking him as hard as he could and begging him to wake up._

_“What’s wrong?” Dongwoo mumbled tiredly, wiping at the sleep in his eyes._

_Woohyun’s eyebrows knit up in worry. “It’s Sunggyu.”_

_Dongwoo was down the hallway the next instant. The first thing he noticed was that Sunggyu’s door was wide open, which never happened. The second thing he noticed was that Sunggyu was curled up on top of his blanket, fully clothed and with a terrible, ghostly pallor._

_His heart stopped, fearing the worst, as he knelt down carefully next to Sunggyu to check his temperature and breathing. He sighed in relief to find that he was still breathing, albeit weakly, but his temperature was far too warm to be healthy._

_“Woohyun,” Dongwoo said, not taking his eyes of Sunggyu, “Go get some water and some more blankets.”_

_Woohyun nodded his head vigorously and raced down the stairs. Dongwoo tried moving Sunggyu around so that he could get him under the blankets. Woohyun reappeared moments later with a water bottle and dragging his own blanket behind him._

_“Thanks, Woohyun.” Dongwoo held the water up to Sunggyu’s lips and forced him to drink. Some of it dribbled down his chin, but he sighed in relief when he saw Sunggyu’s throat bob after a moment. He set it aside then turned back to Woohyun. “You should go now. The last thing he needs is people crowding him.”_

_“I want to help!” Woohyun cried. “Please, hyung, let me help.”_

_Dongwoo smiled at him sadly. “I think the best thing you can do for him is to take care of the others. Go make breakfast and keep them out of here. They don’t need to know Sunggyu is ill.”_

_“Fine,” Woohyun muttered bitterly. Dongwoo winced at his tone. He hated having to tell the others what to do. He wasn’t a leader, not truly, so usually Sunggyu did it for him._

_Dongwoo sighed and looked at Sunggyu’s lifeless form. “You need new clothes.”_

_He rummaged around in a drawer for something comfortable and warm for him to wear. Dongwoo carefully began to take off Sunggyu’s clothes, minding the cuts and bruises along his skin. He noticed Sunggyu begin to stir, and his breaths started coming in faster, shallower. Sunggyu began to thrash around, trying to throw him off._

_“Hyung? Sunggyu, can you hear me?” Dongwoo begged, cupping his face in his hands._

_Sunggyu blinked his eyes open with great effort and tried to focus them on Dongwoo’s face. “Dongwoo…?”_

_“I knew I should have stopped you,” Dongwoo said sadly. “Hyung, you’re very sick. I’m getting you changed, but you have a really high fever.”_

_Sunggyu nodded weakly, but Dongwoo doubted he understood a word he said. He continued his task of getting Sunggyu changed, then tucking him under the blankets from his and Woohyun’s beds. After that it was a matter of waiting, really. Dongwoo offered Sunggyu water when he woke for a few minutes, but Sunggyu spent most of it sleeping. One time he got up to leave, but Sunggyu weakly gripped his hands and begged, “Don’t go.”_

_So Dongwoo stayed. It wasn’t any trouble at all, he reasoned, because Sunggyu would do as much for them. He_ had _done as much for them, back when Myungsoo seemed to get sick every few weeks. He’d stay home from working the streets those nights and take care of Myungsoo like a parent would._

_Dongwoo swallowed past the tightness in his throat. He just hoped he’d learned something from those few months. Towards the evening, the fever seemed to hit its highest point. There were times when Sunggyu’s breathing began to rattle, and Dongwoo bit back his tears and gripped Sunggyu’s hands hard._

_“Don’t go anywhere, hyung,” he pleaded. Woohyun and Hoya went out for medicine with what meager savings they’d managed to put away, but it was hard to get Sunggyu to take any when he was rarely awake. They needed a hospital, but if they called the emergency line, they’d all be sent back to their families, and they didn’t have the money for a hospital stay anyway._

_It was around dinnertime when Sunggyu spoke again._

_“Mom?” he rasped weakly._

_Dongwoo sniffled and wiped the wetness away from his eyes. “No, hyung, it’s me. You’re very sick. You need to eat and drink.”_

_Sunggyu furrowed his brows in confusion, but nodded vaguely. Dongwoo lifted him into a sitting position and noted worriedly how thin he was. Luckily, Woohyun had dropped off a bowl of stew earlier._

_He was too weak to chew, but Sunggyu could at least down the broth. He drank it slowly, and managed to consume half the bowl. Dongwoo set the dishes aside and felt his forehead again, noting with relief that his fever seemed to have broken._

_“Lay back down. You’re not to leave this bed until I say so,” Dongwoo commanded quietly, helping Sunggyu to lie down again._

_Sunggyu laughed, but it turned into a worrying cough. “You’re the boss.”_

_Dongwoo nodded and finally was able to leave the room. He took the tray out and when he closed the door behind himself, he leaned on it and sighed, closing his eyes._

_“How is he?” Woohyun asked quietly. Dongwoo jumped. He hadn’t noticed him standing there… with the rest of their little family, apparently._

_“Is he okay?” A worried Sungjong asked. Myungsoo didn’t say anything, as was often the case, but his aura was dark and he leaned his head on Sungyeol’s shoulder, staring sadly at Sunggyu’s door._

_“He’s going to be fine,” Dongwoo reassured them. A palpable tension lifted from the room. “He’s very sick though, so no going in there and bothering him until he’s better.”_

_“Aw, but I want to see him,” Sungyeol whined. Woohyun shot him a sharp glare, but Sungyeol simply stuck his tongue out at him._

_“You can all see him in the morning,” Dongwoo said, then yawned. He turned to Woohyun. “Can you take care of him while I sleep?”_

_Woohyun grinned widely and nodded. Sungyeol groaned. “Why does_ he _get to hang out with Sunggyu-hyung but not us?”_

_“Because I said so.” Dongwoo pulled on the skin at his face and wondered how he ever managed to deal with them day in and day out. Sure, Dongwoo spent most of the day with them, but all the disputes tended to get resolved when Sunggyu returned home._

_He sighed and trudged back to his room, falling face forward onto his futon. Dongwoo shut his eyes and immediately slipped into a dreamless sleep._

_The next morning, Dongwoo walked into Sunggyu’s room to see him sitting upright, Woohyun asleep with his head pillowed on his lap. Sunggyu shrugged helplessly, and Dongwoo shook Woohyun gently._

_Woohyun mumbled something in his sleep, then blinked his eyes blearily open. “What time is it?”_

_“Time for you to go back and sleep in your own room,” Dongwoo said gently._

_“Oh, crap!” Woohyun turned to Sunggyu and grabbed his hand. “Hyung, I’m sorry! I was supposed to be awake to help you and stuff…”_

_Sunggyu shook his head. “It’s fine. If i needed anything I would’ve woken you.”_

_“No you wouldn’t have…” Woohyun muttered, but eventually he sighed and walked back to his own room, shutting the door behind himself._

_“Would you have?” Dongwoo asked curiously._

_Sunggyu simply laughed at that. Dongwoo smiled and sat down next to his bed. “How are you feeling?”_

_“Better,” Sunggyu said. He played with his hands in his lap and looked down at them, embarrassed. “Thanks for always helping me out.”_

_“Don’t be,” Dongwoo said simply. He grabbed one of Sunggyu’s hands and held it between his own cooler ones. “You should learn to rely on us more.”_

_Sunggyu smiled half-heartedly, but said nothing. After a moment, Dongwoo said quietly, “You mentioned your mom.”_

_Sunggyu stiffened, then with drew his hand from Dongwoo’s back into his lap. “What did I say?”_

_“You just called for her,” Dongwoo shrugged. “You thought I was her when I was taking care of you.”_

_Sunggyu smiled awkwardly down at his lap. “Consider it a compliment then.”_

_“Did your mom take good care of you when you were sick?” Dongwoo knew he was pushing the limits of what was allowed and what was not allowed, but Sunggyu seemed to be in a sharing mood, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more about him._

_“Yeah,” Sunggyu said softly. “She took really good care of us.”_

_Dongwoo swallowed thickly but continued on. “Then why did you run away?”_

_“Ah.” Sunggyu laughed humorlessly. “That’s where this is headed?” He sighed and leaned back against the wall, staring upward at the ceiling. “Well, you did nurse me back to health after all. I owe you.”_

_“Don’t forget it,” Dongwoo joked._

_Sunggyu’s lips quirked into a small smile, but his expression soon darkened as he thought of a good way to word his reasons for running away. “I had a lot of sisters,” he explained slowly. “But for a while it was only my mother taking care of us. She had to work a lot to feed us all, but we were happy.” Sunggyu’s shoulders seemed to hunch in on themselves for whatever was coming next._

_“So when she began to date again, we were all really happy for her because if she was happy, we were happy. Except… well, her last boyfriend… wasn’t a good person. Not when he drank, anyway.” He shrugged and smiled sadly. “My mom didn’t want to believe that and I didn’t want to ruin her happiness, so I ran away where I wouldn’t have to see him ever again.”_

_Dongwoo swallowed thickly and they sat there in silence for a few minutes. “What did he do to you?”_

_Sunggyu leaned against his shoulder in a rare moment of vulnerability. “It doesn’t matter now.”_

_Dongwoo somehow doubted that, but held his tongue. He rested his head against Sunggyu’s shoulders. “Do you ever regret running away?”_

_“Sometimes,” Sunggyu whispered. “Sometimes I wish I could have just toughed it out. Maybe she would have broken up with him eventually. Maybe he would have stopped.” Sunggyu closed his eyes again. He cleared his throat and returned to his normal volume. “But then I remember that I have you all now and I don’t regret it for a minute. If we hadn’t found each other that day, who knows where we’d be?”_

_Dongwoo nodded carefully and considered this. Finally, he sighed and said, “I’m glad you’re here for us, hyung. Please be more careful with your health.” He hesitated, then grabbed Sunggyu’s hand. “Tell us if you’re having a hard time instead of shouldering everything by yourself.”_

_“I’ll try,” Sunggyu said tiredly. Dongwoo sensed that was all he was going to get from Sunggyu that day and went to stand._

_“You should stay home tomorrow too just to be safe.”_

_“Dongwoo, I can’t--”_

_“You will,” Dongwoo said. He turned to Sunggyu and grinned. “Or I’ll get Sungyeol and Woohyun to shackle you to the bed.”_

_Sunggyu laughed quietly and nodded. Dongwoo was sure to turn the light off as he left the room, and when he turned back, Sunggyu was already asleep again._

_***_

The household was on edge as Sunggyu’s training with Eunha and Jieun wrapped up. They were expecting news from Doojoon any day now, and no one was more nervous about it than Woohyun and Hoya.

Woohyun was obvious about it, acting distracted and flitting this way and that, trying to keep his mind off the inevitable. Hoya kept things just beneath the surface. His anxiety simmered beneath his skin and made his fingers itch to do something.

Dongwoo didn’t think there was any use worrying when Doojoon hadn’t even contacted them yet, but they hardly listened.

Sunggyu, for his part, seemed completely unaffected. He went about his days as normal. Lately, Woohyun and Hoya had finally consented to letting him go grocery shopping with Sungjong and Myungsoo as long as he kept his face covered.

The newscasts with his picture had become more and more infrequent as other world events took up time in the news, and the anti-android fervor that had gripped the city seemed to die down to a simmer. It made Sunggyu happy to be able to leave the house, and it always brought a smile to Dongwoo’s face to see how the little things were enough to lift his spirits.

Dongwoo jumped as he felt someone wrap their arms around his upper body. He turned and saw that it was Sunggyu. He was resting his chin on Dongwoo’s shoulder as he peered over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

“What’s that?” Sunggyu asked curiously.

“It’s a map,” Dongwoo replied, laughing as Sunggyu’s breath tickled his ear. He spread his hands over the papers below him where handwritten notes were scrawled along the margins.

“What’s it for?” Sunggyu furrowed his brows. “Even Navi has a digital map of the whole city.”

“But Navi doesn’t know where the Alliance drop off points are, does he?” Dongwoo reached out to tap a finger on the top of the little robot’s head. “This map marks the shortest distances between drop-off points. Right now I’m plotting the distance between the train station and our house.”

“Wow,” Sunggyu said, lifting his brows. “That sounds complicated.”

Dongwoo laughed loudly. “You can’t see me doing complicated things, can you?” He laughed even harder at the flush on Sunggyu’s cheeks and the way he averted his eyes awkwardly. “Don’t worry. You were the one who taught me how to do it.”

“Sunggyu--Er, I did?”

“Yeah,” Dongwoo replied, picking up his pen once more and looking down at the stack of papers. “Though I’ve never been as good at it as you. Most of these marks are yours.”

He felt Sunggyu stiffen and withdraw a bit from him. His voice was small when he asked, “They are?”

“Yep,” Dongwoo said. He went back to working and didn’t notice Sunggyu’s retreat until he glanced up and realized he was alone. He stretched his arms above his head and went to look for him.

Sunggyu was in the living room, sitting on the couch staring into space. The TV wasn’t on, and it worried Dongwoo to see him this quiet. He sat down next to Sunggyu. “What’s wrong?”

“If I’m not--” Sunggyu swallowed thickly and looked away from Dongwoo. “If we go to the factory and find out that I’m not--I’m not really _Sunggyu_ … will you hate me?”

Dongwoo felt an unpleasant twisting in his stomach. “Do you think that will happen?”

“I don’t know what will happen,” Sunggyu explained quietly. “I’ve been thinking… I can always go to one of the Alliance safehouses after this if you all decide you don’t want me here.”

“That will never happen.” Dongwoo’s heart broke a little as he wrapped his arm around Sunggyu’s shoulders. “I promise. You’ll always have a place here.”

“Sunggyu’s place?” he asked suddenly, lifting up his head.

“Yes?” Dongwoo furrowed his brows, unsure how to respond. “I don’t know… you’ll have a place.”

Sunggyu smiled at him sadly in a way that was achingly familiar. “Okay. Thanks, Dongwoo.”

Though he said this and though he squeezed Dongwoo’s hand in reassurance, Dongwoo somehow came away thinking he had said the wrong thing.

He wished he remembered more about Sunggyu from those first few desperate months together--before they met Woohyun, before Sunggyu grew desperate to provide for many hungry mouths.

What he does remember about Sunggyu from that time is that Sunggyu was someone who was more used to being taken care of than taking care of others. He was the youngest of several sisters, and it had never occurred to him before running away what protecting another human life might entail.

Dongwoo wished he could say that Sunggyu was the closest person to him. After all, he’d known Sunggyu the longest, and, whatever Sunggyu said about Woohyun being his “right hand man,” Dongwoo was sure that he was the closest to Sunggyu. It wasn’t true though. He was close to Woohyun and Hoya because they were easy people to be close to. Sunggyu was not an easy person to get close to. Sunggyu was not an easy person to love.

Dongwoo thought that maybe, in another universe or another time, Sunggyu would have been very lovable. He could have been someone hard around the edges, but soft inside, someone that could eventually voice his desire for affection. He saw a bit of that in Sunggyu after his kidnapping.

Doojoon contacted them over the communicator the next day. His instructions were for Hoya, Woohyun, and Sunggyu to report to the local Alliance headquarters. Dongwoo waved them off nervously as they left the house.

Sunggyu pulled his hood more tightly over his face as they turned onto a busier street, but the passersby paid him little attention. Most were more concerned with getting home as the light on the streets slowly dimmed and the streetlamps came on one by one.

They were quickly admitted into the grimy basement headquarters where Doojoon was already waiting for them, his fingers tapping quickly away at his keyboard.

“Just in time,” he said offhandedly. A 2-D map lit up the large projected monitor in the center of the room. “We’re making our move in 24 hours.”

“That soon?” Woohyun asked anxiously. “How come we’re only hearing about this now?”

“You can’t be serious,” Hoya added, inching closer to Sunggyu.

“Our timeline’s been moved up,” Doojoon said through gritted teeth. “Trust me, I’m not happy about this either, but another one of our moles has disappeared and I want him back before anything happens to him.”

“Is that the map?” Sunggyu interjected.

Doojoon gave him a measured look. “One floor of it. There are twelve total, but we’ll be heading for the basements.”

“And how do you propose we infiltrate one of the most secure buildings in the country?” Woohyun asked. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sunggyu wouldn’t be going on this mission if there was even a modicum of ill-preparedness, not if he could help it.

“You see, this is where having an organization comprised of a great deal of robots makes things a bit easier,” Doojoon replied, eyes twinkling. “We found a vulnerability in their security software that we can exploit. We’ll be able to redirect the camera feed and stall the patrol drones for a while, but your escape might be a little more tricky.”

“We’re supposed to fight them?” Hoya grunted, already disliking the plan. Sure, he and Woohyun could fight and their skills were much improved after months of regular training, but he doubted they were any match for professional security drones, especially ones of the ilk General Robotics could produce.

“Let my people worry about that. You and Woohyun just need to protect Sunggyu until you can reach the manager’s office,” Doojoon explained. He turned to Sunggyu. “Did you ever pass by a large, private office? Tastefully decorated perhaps?”

Sunggyu jumped at the inquiry. “Um, yes, once or twice. I think I remember the way there from the elevators.”

“Good.” Doojoon nodded. “You three will head straight there. We can disable the lock on the door, and once you’re inside you can plug this into the computer.” Doojoon pulled a USB stick out of his pocket and handed it to Sunggyu. “We’ll run a program remotely to get you into their system.”

Sunggyu closed his fist slowly around the memory stick and pocketed it. “Understood.”

“Now the factory itself…” Doojoon typed something out on the keyboard and the floorplan of the building morphed into a map of the surrounding city area. “The main entrance is in the first district, so there’s obviously no going in that way.”

“Then how do we get in?” Woohyun asked. Sunggyu tensed, remembering Senator Lee’s earlier words to him. He knew a way in, but Hoya and Woohyun weren’t going to like it.

“There’s a back entrance at the second stratum,” Doojoon said smugly, causing Sunggyu to sigh in relief. He zoomed in on what looked to be a partially hidden loading dock. “There’s a reason it’s called a “factory.” Android parts are made in the fifth district, but the androids themselves are assembled and tested right in this building. Can’t have their most precious technologies among the riff raff, can they?”

Hoya and Woohyun glanced at each other and nodded slowly, but Sunggyu kept his eyes on the map, trying to memorize how the area looked from above. They’d probably be escaping that way too.

“You three are to meet our operatives just down the block from the back entrance, midnight tomorrow night. Don’t be late.” With that, Doojoon dismissed the images from the screen and turned back to face them.

“I’ll drop by your house tomorrow evening to set up a base of operations. Any questions?”

Sunggyu shook his head, a confident look in his eyes. Hoya and Woohyun looked less sure, but both shook their heads as well. They were dismissed from Doojoon’s presence with the wave of his hand.

They quietly made their way back to the house, their minds heavy with the realization that one way or another, after tomorrow nothing would be the same. Woohyun gripped Sunggyu’s hand and laced their fingers together, giving it a hopeful squeeze. Hoya took his other hand and together they arrived back at the house. Dongwoo was not the only one awake when they walked through the door.

Sungjong, Myungsoo, and Sungyeol also sat around the living room. Everyone’s eyes were drawing to front door when they arrived home. The room was filled with a tense silence as they all waited for someone to speak up.

Hoya cleared his throat. “We’ll be infiltrating General Robotics’ factory tomorrow.”

Dongwoo felt his breath leave him, as if he had been punched. “You can’t be serious. It’s too soon.”

“We tried to tell him that, but the timeline’s been moved up,” Woohyun explained hoarsely. Sunggyu rested a concerned hand on his arm. “We’ll meet him by the back entrance in the second stratum tomorrow night.”

The room fell into a solemn quiet, heavy with the words they were all too afraid to say. It leadened their shoulders, creating an oppressive weight that none of them knew how to lift. It was Woohyun who spoke first.

“We’re going to make it back,” he said quietly, “so don’t worry about us. We have each other’s backs.”

Sunggyu nodded. “We’ve been preparing for this for months. We’re ready.”

Hoya stood there tight-lipped, saying nothing. The younger boys glanced between each other, unsure. Dongwoo swallowed thickly. “You better get some sleep then.”

Sunggyu cracked a small smile. Woohyun’s shoulders relaxed a bit as he replied, “You all need some sleep too. We might need your help tomorrow.”

They all nodded and said their goodnights, refusing to acknowledge the goodbye that would come tomorrow. Sunggyu murmured an excuse and slipped away as everyone else headed upstairs. He walked into the downstairs bathroom.

As he turned on the light, the room was illuminated by a weak yellow light that only barely kept the shadows at bay. Sunggyu stared into the mirror above the sink and touched his fingers to his face.

He traced the flawless skin there and let his finger trail down his neck, unimpeded by the moles he now knew dotted the human Sunggyu’s neck in a sparse constellation. If he were to check the rest of his body, Sunggyu was sure that there would be no moles anywhere else either.

His skin was a bit paler than the human Sunggyu’s. After all, he had been created at his user’s pleasure, molded to his desire, but when he observed his pallor in the dimly lit room, the paleness of his skin seemed only to highlight the deadness in his stare. Sunggyu squeezed his eyes shut.

He wondered what it felt like to be human. Did it feel the same? Did all humans feel the profound loneliness that had grown from the seed of thought to wrap its thorny vines around his heart? Sunggyu didn’t think so. He wondered what it was like to feel like you were a part of something bigger than yourself, to have kin. Despite his lovers waiting upstairs, Sunggyu felt like he was truly alone.

It would be better, he thought, to forget what he was or to have never known at all, so that was what he did. He breathed deeply and swore, from that moment forward, to live as a human. Whatever they found out tomorrow, it would change nothing. He’d still be Sunggyu and the world would continue to turn, just as it had every day since he first opened his eyes.

Hoya and Woohyun were still awake when he reached the top of the stairs. Neither of them said a word, just sat around the room staring somberly, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. They looked up as Sunggyu entered the room, and a weak smile tugged at Woohyun’s lips.

“We were starting to worry,” he teased.

Sunggyu shut the door behind himself. “No need to worry. I think I can be by myself for a few minutes.”

“It’s understandable,” Hoya nodded, pushing himself up. Woohyun pushed himself to stand as well, and the three of them stood there awkwardly for a moment, too nervous to break the tense silence.

“Whatever happens--” Sunggyu started. He bit his lip nervously and continued. “Whatever happens, we should stick together.”

Hoya and Woohyun nodded slowly. After a moment, Woohyun suddenly and inexplicably pulled him into a tight hug.

“I’m not letting you go again,” Woohyun said hoarsely, burying his face in Sunggyu’s neck.

Hoya grinned and joked, “I think he means that literally.”

“You don’t have to,” Sunggyu said, smiling, “at least not tonight.” He pulled Woohyun off of him and looked directly into his eyes. “I’m not running away anymore.”

Woohyun’s eyes widened a fraction as he took in the double meaning of his words. The atmosphere of the room changed slightly, and Hoya gripped Sunggyu’s arm gently.

“Are you sure?” he asked. Sunggyu nodded slightly, causing his grip to relax. Hoya’s hand moved to cup the back of his neck and play with the soft synthetic hair there.

Woohyun’s lips split into a radiant smile that infected Sunggyu with an insidious glee just by looking at it. Woohyun leaned forward and kissed him once, soft and gentle, as he took Sunggyu’s hands in his own. Hoya squeezed the back of Sunggyu’s neck gently, and Sunggyu turned and kissed him as well.

Hoya’s hands lingered at the hem of Sunggyu’s shirt, just barely skirting the skin underneath with feathery light touches. Woohyun leaned forward to press hot kisses against his neck. Sunggyu broke the kiss with Hoya and laughed a bit, embarrassed.

“Why am I in the middle?” Sunggyu groaned, voice still playful.

“Because,” Woohyun mumbled between kisses, “Tomorrow you’re going to find out what you really are. We should celebrate.”

“That’s hardly a reason,” Sunggyu replied, but he was silenced by Hoya’s lips on his again. He finally closed his eyes and let go.

Consciousness: a noun which signifies the ability to sense the external world around you. Sunggyu remembered when he first became conscious. First there was sight.

_The sight of cold, bright lights above him._

The look of desire in their eyes. Woohyun’s was bright and Hoya’s was dark--a perfect harmony of push and pull, of give and take.

Then came hearing.

_A woman’s voice, elucidating where he was and_

_for what purpose he was made._

Woohyun’s voice, telling him how much he loved him, and Hoya’s voice, telling him he was beautiful. He tried to make his own work so that he could express that no, _they_ were perfect; he was just--himself. Sunggyu wasn’t made to receive all of this love. He didn’t know what to do with it.

Next came touch.

_A cold metal table and painful straps, digging deep into_

_synthetic skin, leaving angry red marks._

The feeling of Hoya’s strong hands gripping his waist with a force that made him feel safe, somehow. Woohyun’s fingers, gliding against the panes of his torso as he slid shirt off. As Woohyun reached for his waistband, Sunggyu reached forward, fumbling with Woohyun’s clothes like a child. Heat. Skin on skin. When it became too much, Hoya’s thumbs rubbed comforting circles on his lower back as a way for him to anchor himself to the present.

He heard Hoya mumble “lube,” causing Sunggyu to shake his head roughly.

“The way we’re built--” Sunggyu gasped, trying to get enough air into his lungs to help cool down his components. “We don’t need it. Inconvenient.”

Hoya gave Woohyun a wordless look. As Woohyun turned to find the lube one of them must have bought at some point, Sunggyu protested weakly, “It won’t hurt.”

“Shut up,” Hoya said, and that was the end of coherency.

They told him his sense of smell was fine tuned so that he could detect dangers towards humans--fire, smoke, gas, rot. There was no need for an android to know what a home cooked meal smelled like, since they could not eat it anyway.

_The smell of ammonia and hospital cleaner_

_assaulting his senses, making him dizzy._

The smell of sweat on skin as a drop slid down between the defined lines of the muscles on Hoya’s chest as Hoya fucked him, hard. Sunggyu slid his hands onto Woohyun’s shoulders to steady himself when his knees nearly gave out. Woohyun whispered sweet nothings from in front of him, how he was _amazing_ and _beautiful_ and _you’re doing so well_. It was hard to concentrate on anything longer than that when Woohyun’s hand was on his cock and everything felt hot. Burning.

Sunggyu wrapped one arm around Woohyun’s shoulders and let his other travel blindly down Woohyun’s torso until it wrapped around something hard and hot. Woohyun swallowed thickly and let his eyes flutter shut.

“Gyu,” he breathed.

Sunggyu pulled back a little and between hot pants of breath, all he could say was “You too.”

Taste. Sunggyu couldn’t taste because he couldn’t eat. Electricity didn’t have a “taste.” Wasted space traded for increased efficiency, reminding him that he wasn’t built for the pleasures of being human.

_The blood of Senator Lee’s cut lip. If Sunggyu could taste,_

_he guessed human blood would probably taste like poison._

Sunggyu couldn’t taste the weight of Woohyun’s cock on his tongue, the piercing hotness as it slid deeper into his mouth. Woohyun’s hands tightened painfully in his hair. Sunggyu heard him cursing and moaning and figured that he must be doing something right. He felt one of Hoya’s hand splayed on his back as the other wrapped around his waist to take over where Woohyun had left off.

Sunggyu remembered when he first became conscious, but this… this felt like waking up.

He lay there, after, chest heaving as he forced air in and out of his lungs to bring his internal temperature down. He felt Hoya rest a heavy arm on his torso and press a kiss against his shoulder as Woohyun cleaned him up. He closed his eyes and felt his chest ache and his lips tremble.

Robots couldn’t cry, and Sunggyu thought that might be the cruelest part of their existence.

Woohyun seemed to sense that something was wrong, and leaned down to push the hair from Sunggyu’s forehead.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, almost hesitantly.

“I’m happy.” Sunggyu’s voice cracked on the last syllable, and he lifted his hand to cover his eyes. “Thank you.”

“We love you,” Hoya said.

Sunggyu smiled and turned to look at him, showing him the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled to show that he was genuinely happy. “I love you too.”

They stayed in bed until afternoon the next day. They weren’t meeting at the back entrance to the factory until midnight which left the rest of the day for them to worry over what would happen. Doojoon and a few other Alliance members came over later and began to draw up possible escape routes for them in case things should go wrong.

“There’s a service elevator here,” Doojoon said, pointing to a spot just down the street from the back exit where they’d be entering, “We’ll turn off the security cameras remotely, so take it all the way down and someone will meet you. The security drones can’t leave the building, and there likely won’t be workers left in the building.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Hoya asked, crossing his arms. “What if someone is there and they follow us out?”

“They’ll probably be some researcher who stayed late to finish some work,” Doojoon shrugged. “They shouldn’t be a problem for you to subdue--whatever means necessary. Remember that.”

Sunggyu shivered at his tone. He didn’t want to kill people, but Doojoon insisted that they would have to. Better one dead researcher than for the enemy to get any information on them.

“Our men will have bulletproof vests and weapons waiting for you by the back exit,” he added. “Pack as lightly as possible; you’ll need to be quick.”

As the Alliance members began setting up computers and surveillance equipment, Doojoon turned to Sunggyu and asked, “You still have the memory stick?”

Sunggyu nodded and pulled it from his  pocket. Doojoon gave a small smile and nodded. “Good. You’re ready.” He turned to the rest of them. “We’ve been planning this for months. If you get in and get out quickly, there should be nothing to worry about.”

In the final hours before setting off, Dongwoo pulled Sunggyu into the garage where things were quiet.

“What’s wrong?” Sunggyu asked nervously.

Dongwoo cleared his throat, willing the words to his lips. “Is there no way I can stop you?”

“Dongwoo--”

“Please don’t go,” Dongwoo begged. “It’s dangerous.”

“I have to,” Sunggyu said weakly. “I can’t keep living here, not knowing the truth--not knowing who or what I am.”

Dongwoo swallowed thickly, sensing his defeat. He quickly wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes. “Sorry,” he sniffled, then nodded. “Okay… alright.” He pulled Sunggyu into a tight hug. “You have to come back.” He said, voice muffled where his head was buried in Sunggyu’s shoulder. “No matter what. Please, please come back.”

“I’ll try,” Sunggyu replied soberly. “I promise.”

“No matter what happens,” Dongwoo repeated. “Whether you’re… _him_ , or someone entirely different.”

Sunggyu tightened his embrace and closed his eyes. “I’ll come back.”

“Good,” Dongwoo sighed. He gave Sunggyu one last tight squeeze then let go. “I need you to keep Woohyun and Hoya in line.”

Sunggyu smiled at that. “They’re hopeless without us, aren’t they?”

“Always,” Dongwoo laughed. He took Sunggyu’s hand in his own. “I shouldn’t hog you all to myself. I’m sure the others want to see you off too.”

They ascended the steps together where the rest of their family was waiting for them.

“What was that about?” Woohyun asked quietly as they both watched Hoya pull Sungyeol into a threatening headlock.

Sunggyu smiled. “Not telling.”

“Wow,” Woohyun snorted playfully. “Trying to be mysterious now?”

Sunggyu ignored him and went to pull Hoya and Sungyeol apart from their play wrestling. Woohyun made sure to lecture them all on staying put at the house until they made it back from the mission. They nodded solemnly, and then it was time for goodbye.

“Good luck, hyung,” Myungsoo said quietly into Sunggyu’s ear as he pulled him into an embrace.

“Yeah,” Sungyeol added, “Don’t be an ass and get yourselves killed or shot.”

Woohyun laughed. “I’ve had enough of being shot for one lifetime, thank you very much.”

“Oh yeah, take this.” Sungyeol placed Navi into Sunggyu’s hand. “Dongwoo and I used the old maps to input some escape routes.” He smiled proudly. “Best part is that you don’t have to be online to use them. That way, no one can track you.”

Sunggyu stared at the little robot, stunned. “Thank you.”

“It’s all I can do from here,” Sungyeol shrugged, suddenly bashful.

“Be safe,” Sungjong said quickly. Sunggyu, Hoya, and Woohyun gave the rest of the boys one last wave before heading out.

They stepped out the door into the darkness, letting it fall shut behind them with a heavy thud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone who commented last chap ; ___ ; they were encouraging to read when i felt like my writing sucked & no one would want to read it.... thanks 2 everyone reading this for sticking with me! :D
> 
> next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for! we find out a lot more about what really happened to sunggyu


	12. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise!!!!! i am sooooooo sorry this took so long... life happened.... i graduated and went on a lifechanging road trip 5500 miles cross country.... i started my new fulltime job that i love.... i hope it's okay T____T i bet u all thought i gave up on this fic but i haven't!!!!! honest

_ The house was dark and quiet except for the yellow light spilling out of the cracked door to Sunggyu’s room. Woohyun found him sitting on the edge of the mattress, bent over tying his shoe and humming a familiar song. _

_ “Need any backup?” Woohyun asked as he leaned against the doorframe to Sunggyu’s bedroom. He folded his arms in front of him as Sunggyu paused, then finished lacing up his shoes. _

_ “Not tonight,” Sunggyu answered. He shrugged on a jacket and slipped his wallet into his pocket. _

_ Woohyun clenched and unclenched his jaw. “Are you sure? I’m not busy tonight.” _

_ “I’m fine,” Sunggyu replied after a short pause. He looked at Woohyun strangely. “Are you okay?” _

_ “Just peachy,” he muttered. Sunggyu pursed his lips, obviously not satisfied with the answer. Woohyun sighed. “Why can’t I come with you?” _

_ “Because I said so,” Sunggyu said shortly. _

_ Woohyun felt his hand curl into a fist at his side. “I’m twenty years old, you know. Stop using the same excuses you used when I was twelve.” _

_ “It’s dangerous.” _

_ “Less dangerous if someone comes with you.” _

_ “I let you come with me last week!” Sunggyu said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m trying, Woohyun, but I’m done discussing this today.” _

_ “You never want to discuss this,” Woohyun spat. “You say you trust me, but you’re  _ still _ hiding things from me! Can’t you just trust me?” _

_ “I do, Woohyun.” Sunggyu sighed and put his hands in his pockets. “I trust you. I promise I’ll have a job just for you when I get back, but for now, can we just let this go?” _

_ “I’m not talking about whether you trust me to go on missions by myself!” Woohyun said, voice growing louder than it should, “I’m talking about you trusting me to take care of myself and to take care of you!” _

_ “I don’t need you to take care of me,” Sunggyu growled. _

_ “I know you don’t.” _

_ “Then why--” _

_ “Because I want to!” Woohyun said, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I know you can take care of yourself, hyung. You’ve been taking care of yourself for fifteen years now. I just--I want you to take a break! Let me take care of things.” _

_ “That’s not your job, Woohyun!” _

_ “It’s not yours either!” He tried to hold back his frustration as he felt the nails of his fingers dig into the skin of his palm. “At least… it shouldn’t be. Please, Gyu?” _

_ Sunggyu sighed and looked at him sadly. He approached Woohyun slowly and reached out, cupping Woohyun’s cheek in his palm. “Thank you. And… you do take care of me, Hyun. You’re my right-hand-man.” _

_ “I don’t feel like it,” Woohyun muttered. He leaned into Sunggyu’s hand just as it slid to the back of his head, gripping the hair there. _

_ Sunggyu pulled Woohyun’s head toward his until their foreheads touched. Woohyun closed his eyes and felt his heart race. “You help me in ways you don’t even know. One day you will, I promise.” _

_ “You always say that,” Woohyun sighed. “Please, don’t leave me behind.” _

_ Woohyun felt bitter regret fill his heart and lungs as Sunggyu pulled away. Neither could look at the other as Sunggyu replied, “I can’t--not tonight. I’m sorry.” _

_ As he watched Sunggyu turn to walk away, the rage that always slept just below the surface of Woohyun’s skin began to bubble forth, filling his heart with feelings he’d tried to ignore and his mouth with words better left unsaid. _

_ “You’ll never change,” he spat. Sunggyu turned and looked at him in shock, as if Woohyun’s words had taken on a physical form and struck him across the face. “You say that you’re trying, but you can’t even do this. You can’t even let this go.” _

_ “Woohyun, don’t--” _

_ “I ask you to open up, but you never will!” Woohyun shouted. “How can you? You think the missions you go on alone are too dangerous for me, but not for you? You don’t value your own life!” _

_ Sunggyu kept his eyes trained downward, not even attempting to contradict him. Woohyun felt himself grow angrier. “Go then! Just go. Keep your secrets.” Woohyun took a step back, as if releasing Sunggyu from the spell that kept him there. “It’s what you’re good at.” _

_ Sunggyu gave him one last sad look before disappearing into the night. _

_ In that moment, Woohyun should have known. He should have known that there would be a price to pay for speaking so freely. He should have known that would be Sunggyu’s last mission. All the signs were there. _

_ But instead, he revelled in his perceived victory, having finally conquered the older brother of his childhood, having finally proven himself a man. He could stand up to Sunggyu, and therefore he could stand beside him. Sunggyu would come to realize this--and things would be better when he returned. _

_ Woohyun had not yet realized he was merely a child in the body of a man. _

***

“Over here,” a familiar voice whispered in the dark as Hoya, Woohyun, and Sunggyu approached the back entrance to the General Robotics headquarters. They followed the voice to find Jieun and Eunha standing together in a darkened alley, black duffel bags slung over their shoulders.

“Their loading dock is the next block over,” Jieun whispered quietly, pulling out three small in-ear communicators. “Doojoon will contact us as soon as they manage to re-route the security camera feed. Take these as well.” She pulled out a small video camera and a handgun and handed them to Woohyun and Hoya respectively. “Keep the camera on the entire time we’re there--it’ll be streaming video back to Doojoon and the rest of the crew--but don’t use the gun unless you have to.”

Hoya and Woohyun nodded, pocketing the devices. Sunggyu bit his lip. “Anything I can do?”

“Your job is leading us to the main office and getting as much data,” Eunha said bluntly. “We’ll take care of the rest.”

Sunggyu nodded and pat down his pocket, reassuring himself that the thumb drive was still there. They strapped on bulletproof vests also contained within the duffel bag, and a few minutes later, Doojoon’s low voice filtered in through the communicator.

“Cameras will be down in fifteen seconds. We can only give you an hour, maybe an hour and a half, so work quickly.”

“Let’s go,” Woohyun said with a newly-hardened edge to his voice that took Sunggyu by surprise. He’d been the most reluctant to come after all.

They made their way around the next block and up to the back door of the seemingly endlessly high skyscraper. Sunggyu shook his head and kept his eyes trained steadily straight ahead. Jieun pulled out an employee security card to swipe them inside.

“Where’d you get that?” Hoya whispered as they quickly slip inside the heavy metal door.

“Our guy on the inside,” Eunha replied, “They’ll know he’s one of ours as soon as they figure out what’s happening, so don’t fuck this up.”

The building is quiet enough that Sunggyu can hear Hoya and Woohyun’s hearts thudding against their chests. He forced his heart to quiet and reminded himself of what was waiting at the end of their journey. They reached the elevator to the basement levels.

“I’ll stand guard,” Eunha whispered. “Good luck to you all.” She rested a hand on Sunggyu’s shoulder. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Sunggyu smiled. “Thank you.”

“Here’s our ride.” Jieun motioned them into the elevator and pressed the button for the bottom level. “I’ll walk you three to the entrance of R&D, then stand guard. Remember to hurry or else we’ll be trapped down here.”

Hoya nodded and pulled the gun out. “Got it.”

“Keep an eye out for other scientists or patrol drones,” she reminded them. The elevator doors opened to a dimly-lit, pristine hallway. The walls were silver, with doors every so often leading to this section or that. Finally, the reach the door with a nameplate that read “Research & Development.”

“Hurry,” Jieun whispered, then passed them the card key. Hoya held it up to the electronic censor until they heard a quiet  _ beep _ , and the door slid silently open.

They ran down the hallway, the only noise the sound of their shoes hitting the metal floor. Sunggyu looked around frantically, trying to get his bearings.

“This way,” he motioned, finally finding a familiar hallway. They walked past several doors leading to rooms labeled “Testing Suite” until they came upon an office near the end of the hall. “I think this is the department’s main computer system.”

The room is even darker than the hall, and while Sunggyu was fine with his artificial eyes, Hoya and Woohyun had to put their hands in front of them to feel their way around the room.

“Light, light,” Hoya muttered until he felt his fingers touch a switch.

“Wait!” Sunggyu grabbed Hoya’s hand to keep him from turning on the light. “We need to cover the windows or else the light will be visible from the hall.”

Sunggyu pressed a button that covered the windows from the office to the hallway, then motioned for Hoya to flip the light switch. The room filled with a blue light, but it was not from the fluorescents overhead.

On the other side of the small room, more blinds opened into a previously unknown room. There was a door in the corner of the office that lead into it, and the light shining ominously from a row of human-sized pods.

“What the hell are those?” Woohyun asked, hand reaching for the door so he could get a closer look.

“Don’t,” Hoya warned. “We don’t know if that’ll set off an alarm.”

“Let’s focus on why we came first,” Sunggyu suggested, already making his way over to the computer terminal. There were multiple large monitors set up in a grid, as if it were some kind of security room.

“Congrats on finding the terminal,” Doojoon’s voice said through the communicator.

“Doojoon, what the hell’s in those pods?” Woohyun asked.

“My guess? You’ll find out as soon as you access that computer. Put the thumb drive in one of the ports.” Sunggyu took the thumb drive from his pocket and inserted it. Instantly, the monitors flickered on and displayed a simple log-in page.

“Now what?” Sunggyu asked. “We don’t know any usernames or passwords.”

“Our team’s working on it,” Doojoon replied. “Give them a minute or two and they’ll get you access.”

Hoya and Sunggyu stared in amazement as they saw the Alliance remotely operating the system. Woohyun, however, continued to stare at the glowing metal pods. His hand reached slowly for the door handle, then pushed it open.

Nothing happened. No alarm went off, and Hoya and Sunggyu didn’t even seem to notice. Woohyun slipped through the door and wandered closer to the machines.

The pods were long and upright, leaning slightly forward at the top but held in place by hundreds of thick cables, thicker than any he’d seen in his life. There was a glass panel near the top that was fogged up. Woohyun reached his hand out slowly to wipe away the condensation, then recoiled in shock.

“Shit!” He stumbled backwards and ran for the door. “There are people inside!”

“Damn it, Woohyun!” Hoya shouted, turning around just as the Alliance members finally logged into the system.

Files were being opened faster than even Sunggyu could keep track. Woohyun was shaking. He whispered, “Did you see that? Doojoon, there were people inside.”

Before he could respond, a video file started playing. Woohyun tried to keep the camera trained on the screen, but it was hard when his hand was still shaking.

Sunggyu froze when a familiar woman’s face appeared on screen.

“Dr. Choi Kyungna’s log 0-0-1 for beta model SG-01,” she said calmly into the camera. Sunggyu touched a hand to his face subconsciously. “After the unparalleled success of Dr. Jung and his neuro-transfer method, Senator Lee has commissioned a new android from us. Subject was dehydrated from days of interrogation as he arrived at our research facilities, but he has been nursed back to suitable health and is ready to begin the neuro-transfer process. However, our plans have been delayed by the Senator’s request that the beta model’s body be constructed to mimic the human subject’s anatomy.” She held two pictures up to the screen. One was of Sunggyu--the human Sunggyu--from the police station. The other was of Sunggyu the android with his pristine, unblemished skin and glassy eyes, devoid of life.

The video paused and another quickly opened in its place. It was Dr. Choi again.

“Dr. Choi Kyungna’s log 0-0-3 for beta model SG-01. Today the neuro-transfer process has begun.” She leaned forward and picked up the camera into which she was speaking. Sunggyu realized that she had been recording from the very room they were standing in. She walked into the next room with the pods and aimed the camera at the glass plate of one where the human Sunggyu lay in stasis. “Subject is stable for the time being with little deterioration. We suspect the process will take three days, after which the android SG-01 will be ready for final calibrations.”

Sunggyu felt a chill go down his body as he felt Woohyun and Hoya stiffen next to him. More folders opened buried deeper and deeper in the computer’s system, until finally a third video log opened. This time, it was an older male scientist standing next to a pod.

“My name is Dr. Jung,” he began, clasping his hands in front of him. “Today I shall be discussing the process of neuro-transfer for the edification of our newest recruits.General Robotics has been in the business of creating lifelike, lifelong companions for our customers for two decades now. After the failure of previous models to provide a comforting experience, we set about to discover a way to create more human-like robots. Through this attempt, I discovered the neuro-transfer process. Can anyone explain what that is?”

Whoever was holding the camera turned towards a group of young scientists raising their hands. One young man at the front began to speak. “Isn’t it the process of mimicking the structure of human neurons in artificial brains?”

“That’s the gist of it, yes,” Dr. Jung replied. “We run a bio-electric analysis of an individual’s neuron structure and copy it into our systems. From there, we can produce any number of artificial brains for mass production of domestic service bots.”

One girl tentatively raised her hand. Dr. Jung smiled calmly and gestured to her. “Dr. Jung,” she began, a nervous tremor in her voice, “doesn’t this process kill the human subject?”

A quiet murmur swelled among the scientists. Dr. Jung nodded and smiled patiently. “Well, yes and no.” He gestured to the pod next to him. “Due to the dangerous nature of these experiments, we only use volunteer subjects. For example, those with terminal or degenerative illness or criminals sentenced to death. We believe it offers a humane alternative, and in the process, parts of them are preserved forever in our androids. We believe it offers a sense of comfort, that they are becoming a part of something larger than themselves.”

“You’re using neuro-transfer on criminals?” One scientist asked. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“That’s the beauty of our creation,” Dr. Jung explained. “While the motor cortex and the frontoparietal network, among other bits and pieces responsible for personality and motor reflexes, get transferred to the artificial brain, we leave the hippocampus alone. That bit of the brain houses all of our memories. And issues such as impulse control have no bearing on our robots because they cannot disobey their users.”

The scientists nodded in understanding, staring in awe at the scientific colossus before them. Sunggyu felt a twisting in his gut. They talked as if the “subjects” weren’t even human. They made it all sound so…  _ pleasant _ . But Sunggyu  _ knew _ who he came from, and he knew that this was no humane alternative. It was hell.

“So Doctor,” one of the young scientists finally said. “If we were to ask you whether or not the subject lives on in the android they help produce, what would you say?”

“I would ask you whether you believe we live on through our children after we die, or perhaps whether a doll, lovingly handcrafted by the dollmaker in the likeness of his wife, lives on after the wife’s death.” Dr. Jung sighed and scratched his chin. “No, I don’t think so. We may take comfort, though, knowing that our life force lives on. I see these androids as an offspring between myself and the subject, between technology and mankind itself. That is something to take comfort in.”

The video cut to black abruptly. More logs regarding the development of SG-01 popped up, but Sunggyu stopped listening. A hollow ringing filled his ears as his eyes slowly wandered to the dreaded blue glow of the room next door.

Hoya and Woohyun were silent. Sunggyu couldn’t tell what they were thinking or if they were still watching the logs, hoping and praying for some sign that this was all a lie, that their Sunggyu was still alive somewhere, somehow, and that this was all a bad dream.

He didn’t know how long he’d been standing there when he heard Doojoon’s low voice over the communicator once more. “You three need to get out of there now. We can only stall the video cameras for a few more minutes. Take the flash drive and run. We’ve got everything we need.”

Sunggyu blinked into consciousness to realize that the screen had gone blank once again. He shakily reached for the thumb drive, but Woohyun reached out and grabbed it before he could. Without turning around, Woohyun headed for the door.

“You two coming?” He asked quietly.

Sunggyu and Hoya nodded, following him out of the room and back down the hall towards where Eunha had left them. Even the sounds of their shoes hitting the metal floor sounded muffled in Sunggyu’s ears. Once again, he felt afraid. Of what, he wasn’t sure, but although his own suspicions had been confirmed, he felt as though something awful was waiting lying in wait.

They had no trouble leaving the building until they reached the loading dock. At that moment, the alarm went off, a flashing red light and low siren sound signaling their location.

“Shit,” Hoya cursed, pulling out the gun.

“You three head the long way back,” Jieun urged, shouldering the duffel bag. “We’ll distract any patrol drones or security that appear. If they follow you, split up if you must, but make sure that flash drive ends up in Alliance hands.”

Hoya nodded and began to pull Sunggyu and Woohyun out of the alleyway. “Let’s meet again, yeah?”

“It’s been an honor working with you all.” The two androids bowed and ran off in the other direction.

They ran through alleys and crowded streets, making random turns here and there to throw off anyone who might think of chasing them. Only after twenty minutes of running around the city, as the light of dawn was just beginning to break over the tops of buildings, did Hoya pull them into an alley to catch their breaths.

“You’ve still got the data, don’t you?” Hoya panted.

“Woohyun has it,” Sunggyu replied. “He’s the one who grabbed it from the computer.”

“Woohyun?”

Woohyun kept his eyes trained on the ground as he bent over to catch his breath. He fished the flash drive out of his pocket and tossed it to Hoya. “There’s what we came for.”

“Alright, let’s keep moving.” Hoya began to exit the alleyway, but one word from Woohyun stopped him.

“No.”

Hoya turned and rolled his eyes. “Woohyun, we need to keep moving if--”

“I know,” Woohyun said. He straightened up before setting his glare straight on Sunggyu. “We should go,” he said, keeping his voice cold and steady, “but he’s not coming with us.”

“What?” Sunggyu asked nervously. “Woohyun, what do you mean?”

“Woohyun, we’re not just leaving Sunggyu--”

“That’s not Sunggyu!” Woohyun shouted. He pointed an accusing finger at the source of his outburst. “I don’t know what the fuck that is, but it’s not Sunggyu!”

Sunggyu felt himself freeze. It was happening. Everything that everyone had promised would never happen.

“Woohyun, you need to calm down and think rationally.” Hoya took a cautious step closer to him. “It isn’t Sunggyu’s fault that--”

“Stop calling him that!” Woohyun’s hand clenched into a fist at his side. “He’s not Sunggyu! He lied!”

Sunggyu felt his circuits flutter nervously. “I--Woohyun, I never lied to you--”

“No,” Woohyun replied, the sheer coldness of his voice cutting through him like a knife, “but you let us believe something you knew wasn’t true, and that’s the same thing.” He took a step closer to Sunggyu. “Isn’t it?”

Sunggyu hugged his arms around his middle, unsure of what to do with himself. “Woohyun, I--”

“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you.”

Sunggyu stared at him in shock.

“You knew that there was no way the real Sunggyu was alive, didn’t you?” Woohyun spat.

Sunggyu looked down. “I didn’t know for certain.”

“But you suspected,” Woohyun scoffed, “and you let us call you by his name anyway.” They stood there in tense silent for a moment before Woohyun spoke again. “You know what the worst part is?”

Sunggyu looked up at him in dread.

“The worst part,” Woohyun continued, “is that he died so that you could exist. Sunggyu had a family, he had a  _ home _ with people who loved him, but they killed him… and for what?” He took another step forward and shoved Sunggyu’s shoulders. His voice went quiet, so that Sunggyu knew his words were meant only for him. “For you? What the hell are  _ you _ ?”

“Woohyun, that’s enough!” Hoya shouted, pulling him away from Sunggyu.

Sunggyu felt his fingers tremble, so he gripped tighter at the material of his shirt. “No, Hoya, he’s--he’s right.”

Hoya stared at him in horror. “Sunggyu, no--”

“I lied,” Sunggyu continued. “I pretended to be him because it felt good and I was… jealous.” He looked at Woohyun, his eyes pleading. “I’m so sorry, Woohyun. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to let it get this far.”

“Go,” Woohyun replied, no emotion in his voice. “Just leave.”

“Sunggyu, don’t.” Hoya grabbed Sunggyu’s arm to keep him in place. He spoke quietly to him. “Don’t do this. He’s just grieving right now, Sunggyu. It’s--he’s not thinking straight. We need you.”

“He needs  _ you _ ,” Sunggyu assured him, gently removing Hoya’s hand from his arm. “I’m just… spare parts.”

“I love you,” Hoya said, voice breaking. “Please don’t go.”

Sunggyu felt his throat grow tight and his eyes burn with unshed tears. “I love you too--both of you. That’s why--” Sunggyu stopped and took another step back. “I’m going now.”

Hoya shook his head again, pleading silently for him to stay, and Woohyun stood there, eyes trained on the wet pavement below. Sunggyu gave them one last look before turning and walking away.

***

The house was tense when they returned home. Hoya wasn’t sure how much they heard over the communicators, but Woohyun didn’t care. He stormed up the steps and slammed one of the doors on the second floor behind him. Hoya felt a pool of dread settle in the pit of his stomach.

“Where’s Sunggyu?” Dongwoo asked, though he already knew the answer.

Hoya looked at him with a pained expression. He suddenly noticed the suitcases and bags littering the living room. “What’s happening? Why do you all have bags?”

“You all need to evacuate,” Doojoon said, stepping around the rest of the group. Hoya raised and eyebrow, surprised he’s still there. “The Alliance will arrange new accommodations for you in Busan. We believe this location is compromised.” Hoya swallowed thickly and nodded. “Where’s Sunggyu?”

“I don’t--” Hoya’s voice broke and he wrapped his arms around himself. “I don’t know. Woohyun, he--when he found out, he--” Hoya held out his shaking hands, then reached up to tug at his hair. “He’s gone. S-Sunggyu, he’s--”

Doojoon’s face darkened and morphed into something inhuman. He surged forward and gripped Hoya by the shoulders, pushing him backwards until his back slammed up against the wall. “You fucking idiot!” he snarled. “Where’s the data? Where is it!?”

“Woohyun has it.” Hoya shoved Doojoon off of him and onto the floor. He looked down at him, lip curling in disgust. “I’ll go get your fucking data, then get the hell out of our house.”

Hoya ignored the stares from the rest of his family and trudged up the stairs. He checked each room, but Woohyun wasn’t in any of them. Finally, he came to Sunggyu’s old room. Hoya pushed open the door to see Woohyun standing in the center of the floor.

“Woohyun,” Hoya whispered, “the data.”

Woohyun slowly took the usb stick out of his pocket and dropped it on the floor. Hoya sighed and went to pick it up.

“He lied.”

Hoya looked up, curious to see what emotion was on Woohyun’s face, but as far as he could tell, there was none--just a blank, unfeeling slate.

“He tried to tell you,” Hoya replied. “You wouldn’t listen.”

“I didn’t want to.” Woohyun’s voice trembled at his sadness, like it was a physical thing inside him, rising up and choking him from the inside out. “How can he be gone?”

Hoya didn’t need to ask to know which Sunggyu Woohyun was talking about. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I--I don’t know.”

“Sunggyu’s always been here…” Woohyun sniffled and wiped at his eyes quickly. His expression morphed into something dark and heavy. “He said he’d always be here to protect us.”

“You know that’s impossible, Woohyun.”

“I know!” Woohyun shouted, causing Hoya to flinch.

Woohyun took a couple of angry, heaving breaths before stomping over to the dresser and knocking all of the clutter to the ground. He pulled the dresser until it tipped over and fell with a loud crash, then began tearing the posters off the wall. Some of them had been up for as long as Woohyun could remember, but some of them--some of them he’d helped put up, hoping that Sunggyu would come back home to see them.

That was never going to happen.

Woohyun knew now that Sunggyu, the Sunggyu that had picked him up off the street that rainy day so long ago, was gone, and he was never coming back.

By the time Woohyun finished, the room was a disaster and he couldn’t stop the guttural sobs from escaping his chest. He didn’t notice when Hoya wrapped his arms around him, only that eventually, after who knows how long, the anger had left him and all that was left was bitter regret.

“We fought,” Woohyun sobbed. “Our last conversation was a fight!”

“It’s okay, Woohyun.” Hoya rocked him gently and rubbed soothing circles on his back. “He knew you didn’t mean it. He knew.”

Woohyun clung to Hoya like a child. “I’m sorry! Sunggyu-hyung, I’m sorry!”

Eventually Woohyun’s sobs dissolve into hiccups and again into quiet mumbling. After a moment of brief silence, Woohyun whimpered, “Oh, God, what have I done? Sunggyu--the android Sunggyu! He’s out there somewhere!”

Hoya closed his eyes and hugged him tighter as Woohyun’s sobs began anew, now punctuated by intermittent cries of “It’s all my fault!” He knew deep down that nothing he could say would ease Woohyun’s pain, so he stayed silent until his grief subsided into emptiness.

Woohyun stared blankly at the now desolate white wall. “I sent him away.”

“You were grieving,” Hoya replied. “I almost did the same when I… realized.”

“Did everyone know but me?”

Hoya glanced at the door uneasily. “I think the others realized sooner or later.”

“I’m such an idiot,” Woohyun whispered. “How could I not see?”

“You were closest with him,” Hoya said simply. “You two always had a special bond.” Woohyun scoffed at that. “It’s true. Woohyun, he--he loved you.”

“Not like that.” Woohyun shook his head as more tears slipped down his face. “Not like I loved him.”

“You can’t see it now,” Hoya murmured, rubbing his back comfortingly. “You will. One day, when the rains have passed, you’ll see your interactions for what they were, and you’ll see that he always loved you.”

“What are we going to do?”

Hoya withdrew and gripped Woohyun’s shoulders tightly. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to find him. I… I want to make things right.”

He smiled at that. “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> as always thank you for reading and feel free to talk to me on twitter! I'm @eufoeria on there too ; u ;


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